TheEdison Storage Battery Company manufactured a type ofnickel–iron battery developed byThomas Edison from 1903 to 1932.
Dissatisfied with the heavylead-acid battery, Edison developed a type of nickel–iron battery (invented byWaldemar Jungner) that was about 40% lighter for the same amount of energy stored and, he claimed, could be recharged twice as fast.[1][2] He filed the first of numerous battery patents, for "Reversible Galvanic Cells or so-called Storage Batteries", on November 20, 1900, which was granted on January 12, 1901.[3] He used it to power an electric car that could go twice as fast as conventional vehicles.[2]
On May 27, 1901, he founded the Edison Storage Battery Company to manufacture it,[4] with production commencing in 1903.[1] TheEdison Storage Battery Company Building was (and is) located at 177 Main Street inWest Orange, New Jersey.[5] (The building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on February 28, 1996.[5]) However, the battery had its problems, forcing Edison to take it off the market in late 1904.[1] An improved model was released in 1909; while it was a success, less-expensive, faster and longer-ranged gas-powered cars, especiallyHenry Ford'sModel T, saw to it that electric cars lost their popularity (38% of the market in 1910, behind steam-powered cars at around 40%, but ahead of gas-powered automobiles at 22%[4]).[1] Edison had to be satisfied with other markets for the product: powering mining lamps, train lighting and signaling and submarines, among other things.[6]
TheUnited States Navy blamed the battery (and leaking hydrogen gas) for an explosion and resulting fire during testing aboard the submarineUSS E-2 on January 15, 1916.[7][8][9] Four men were killed, and seven injured.[7] A board of inquiry (including LieutenantChester W. Nimitz) recommended that Edison batteries be barred from Navy submarines until the problems were fixed.[8]
On June 30, 1932, the company became the Storage Battery Division of Thomas A. Edison, Inc.[6]
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