May 6, 2022: Battery Council International (BCI) members have reported total passenger car battery sales of nearly 99 million in 2021, East Penn Manufacturing CEO Chris Pruitt announced on May 2.
Pruitt told BCI’s annual convention in Florida — where he was re-elected as president of the US trade body for a second term of office — that the sales (OE and replacement) were a 43% increase over 2020, with AGM batteries up more than 28%. Other group sizes are in greater demand, he said.
“The past year was a year of recovery — from the pandemic and its economic impact,” Pruitt said.
“Our industry has fared better than most, thanks in large part to our strong domestic manufacturing base, and our strong domestic supply chain — including the key lead suppliers and recyclers.”
‘Powerful lead’
Meanwhile, Pruitt said BCI was pushing ahead for yet tighter blood levels for the industry.
“We want to reach a maximum universal 20μg/dL of lead in workers by 2025.”
Pruitt said that when this level is compared to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recommendation of 50μg/dL, it showed “how powerful a lead we are taking”.
In terms of federal legislative lobbying, Pruitt said BCI continued to actively engage with legislators on Capitol Hill.
“We are excited by the fact that the federal government has recognized that battery manufacturing is key to America’s success to achieve energy independence,” he said.