October 10, 2025: Lead acid batteries will continue to be the mainstay of GS Yuasa’s global business beyond the next decade, the corporation’s president has said.
Takashi Abe, who was appointed president last year, said in a report released on September 30 the Japan-based battery giant expected demand for lead acid to remain strong, “at least through 2040” — continuing to provide a solid foundation for business performance.
The report, which covered the fiscal year ended last March, said demand for automotive lead batteries should remain steady and centered on the replacement market.
Considering current demand trends and advantages in cost and recycling, Abe said Yuasa forecasts that demand for automotive lead batteries will remain at around 90% of current levels even in 2035.
Similarly, demand for motorcycle lead-acid is expected to continue expanding, particularly in the ASEAN region.
“In Japan, we are actively advancing our business continuity plan to build a system capable of manufacturing products of the same quality at any of our manufacturing sites in eastern, central, or western Japan, so that customer production lines will not be stopped under any circumstances, including disasters.”
Abe revealed that the company is also considering a fresh investment boost in production overseas, “as an option to further strengthen our market position”.
Abe said in fiscal 2024, the second year of its sixth mid-term management plan, operating profit exceeded both the initial target and the upwardly revised target, marking the firm’s third consecutive year of record-high profits.
Profit before amortization of goodwill, which had remained at the JPY 20 billion ($131 million) level through fiscal 2021, rose to JPY 30 billion the following year, JPY 40 billion in 2023 and JPY 50 billion in fiscal 2024.
“This is evidence of our performance improving steadily, step by step,” Abe said.
However, Abe warned that current US trade tariffs were “shaking the global economy”. But as Yuasa’s business centers on local production for local consumption, he said the impact of tariffs would be limited.
Nevertheless, there is some risk of a fall in exports from Japan and Southeast Asia to the US.
Abe said the worldwide downturn in sales of EVs and a slump in the lithium market had been felt by the corporation.
He said Yuasa was seeing a decline in sales and profits for automotive lithium ion batteries, which meant improving profitability in that sector would be a “challenge” for the foreseeable future — revising forecasts made earlier this year.
