Clarios, producer of one in three of the world’s low-voltage car batteries, said it secured a supplier contract with a major original equipment manufacturer for its new high-performance recharge absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery – a 12-volt battery with increased charge acceptance compared to traditional AGM batteries to help reduce fuel consumption and to help reduce CO2 emissions.

Clarios’ new AGM technology provides significantly improved rechargeability compared to other AGM batteries, the company said. As such, the new AGM battery for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles will be first introduced in North America under a supply contract with a major original equipment manufacturer.

AGM batteries are being used across the industry to support increased demands on the low-voltage systems found in every vehicle, according to Clarios. From internal combustion, to hybrid, and EVs, traditional AGM batteries are being adopted to support features like lane-keep assist, side blind zone alerts, engine start-stop cycling, adaptive cruise control, infotainment systems, and connected services and applications.

The new Clarios AGM battery supports all of these important features with the added benefit of increased charge acceptance, the company said. The automaker can choose to optimize their low-voltage battery charging strategy, to help improve fuel economy and helps support carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction objectives.

“We understand the focus automakers have on reducing emissions in their vehicles and how any improvement is important in helping them achieve their circularity goals,” said Federico Morales-Zimmermann, Clarios VP & GM Global OEM Customers, Products, and Engineering. “This new AGM battery is the latest example of how we’re innovating across our product lines to support customers, their new programs and the low-voltage architectures.”