HP expands long-life battery range into EMEA

HP claims that its Sonata batteries maintain full capacity for 1,000 charges

HP is expanding its line of extended-life batteries into EMEA. The company will offer the special battery packs as options for the EliteBook 6930p and Compaq 6730b, 6530b and 6735 notebook models.

While conventional lithium-ion batteries begin to lose maximum capacity after roughly 300 charges, the Sonata cells are able to maintain full capacity for some 1,000 charges. The new battery packs can also be fully recharged in 90 minutes, the firm said.

The packs use special Sonata lithium-ion cells from battery vendor Boston Power. The company first signed a deal to produce hardware for HP in late 2008, and the first models reached the US market in March.

Charl Snyman, vice president of personal systems in EMEA at HP, said: "Our long-life battery is a win-win product for everyone. It helps us continue to meet our goals for delivering environmentally friendly products, and also delivers significant cost savings for our customers."

The company said that the packs will be available for retail from 1 September at a cost of €139 (£).