HP goes to market with new battery packs

HP laptops will be fitted with batteries that can fully recharge in 30 minutes

HP has released its first notebooks equipped with a new lithium-ion battery pack from manufacturer Boston-Power.

The two companies have officially released replacement battery packs for 18 HP notebook models, representing nearly 70 per cent of HP's entire notebook line up.

The Enviro Series batteries sport a new lithium-ion system which is said to dramatically increase battery life. The new packs are touted as having a three-year lifespan before losing capacity, and are said to fully recharge in under 30 minutes.

Delivery of the new battery packs seals a deal signed in December in which HP unveiled plans to offer the new battery packs powered by the Boston-Power Sonata cells as an option on new notebooks, and as replacement packs for existing models.

"HP's endorsement of Sonata is a great step forward in popularising this battery technology," said Dr Christina Lampe-Onnerud, founder and chief executive at Boston-Power.

"From the beginning, our goal has been to help notebook computer users benefit from optimal mobility with dependable, high-performance, environmentally sustainable batteries."