Duracell Introduces New Line of Portable and Emergency Power Products

BETHEL, Conn., Nov. 13, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- Duracell today announced the introduction of 11 products for consumers who want power on-the-go - just in time for the winter season. The new product lines range from small DC to AC pocket inverters to heavy-duty portable emergency power units.

There is on average one power outage every 13 days in the U.S.(1) with one in three adults saying a lengthy loss of power would present at least some impact on their personal financial situation(2). Despite this, approximately 60 percent of small businesses have no back-up power(3). The new Duracell product lines were developed for these businesses but also for everyday consumers who need back-up power at a moment's notice.

"By examining consumer needs, Duracell continues to offer innovative power solutions that extend beyond our core CopperTop battery business," said Dan McCarthy, director, global marketing, Duracell. "These new product lines offer extraordinary performance and give consumers multiple power options for a range of situations."

The product introductions fall into three categories - power packs, inverters, and automotive chargers and jumpstarters. Following are the products with brief descriptions:

Power Packs: Duracell is introducing three portable power devices that offer up to 600 watts of power on demand.

--Duracell PowerSource Mobile 100 (MSRP: $139.99): Provides users with a portable, rechargeable AC and USB power solution for all mobile needs. It will extend the runtime of a laptop up to two hours, and provide extended runtime to other mobile electronics such as an iPod(R), BlackBerry(R), video camera, cell phone and more. --Duracell Powerpack 300 (MSRP: $99.99): Provides users with portable, rechargeable power for almost any emergency situation. With 300 watts of AC power, an LED flashlight, a built-in air compressor and jumper cables, the Duracell Powerpack 300 supplies portable power when it's most needed. --Duracell Powerpack 600 (MSRP: $189.99): With 600 watts of AC power, provides portable, rechargeable power in a rugged design for both indoor and outdoor use and includes jumper cables, AM/FM radio and digital alarm clock.

Inverters: Five inverters are being offered by Duracell that cover the power requirements of mobile devices to heavy appliances. Inverters convert DC power from a vehicle battery into household AC power so consumers can operate electronics from a vehicle, boat or RV.

--Duracell Inverter 1000 & 1500 (MSRP: $119.99 and $169.99): Operate appliances, tools and electronics such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, televisions, stereos, drills, jigsaws, computers and more. They're designed for easy installation and operation and are highly efficient since they convert virtually all of the battery's DC power to AC power. Both models include two AC outlets, high surge capacity, mounting brackets for installation and protection features. --Duracell Pocket Inverter 100 & 175 (MSRP: $29.99 and $39.99): Charge mobile devices such as a cell phone, iPod(R), BlackBerry(R), video camera, and laptop using the inverter's AC or USB outlets. --Duracell Digital Inverter 400 (MSRP: $59.99): Operates mobile electronics such as laptops, cell phones, TVs, and portable lights. It features 400 watts of AC power and 700 watts surge, digital display technology for instant feedback on power usage, surge protection and two AC outlets.

Automotive Battery Chargers and Jumpstarters: Duracell is offering two automotive chargers and one jumpstarter that can help jump-start, maintain or charge a vehicle's battery.

--Duracell Instant Jumpstart System (MSRP: $79.99): Offers rechargeable, portable emergency power solution for dead vehicle batteries. The built- in emergency light provides added visibility while under the hood in the dark, and the reverse-polarity indicator ensures the included jumper cables are correctly connected to the battery terminals. --Duracell 2-amp Battery Maintainer (MSRP: $29.99): Ideal for maintaining and extending the life of a vehicle's batteries. Keeps snowmobile, all terrain vehicle (ATV), motorcycle, personal-watercraft, lawn tractor, car and truck batteries charged when they are not in use so they start when needed. --Duracell 15-amp Battery Charger (MSRP: $79.99): Rapidly charges vehicle batteries from ATVs to cars and trucks when their batteries run low.

These power solutions will be available online and at select mass and specialty stores nationwide including Target, Camping World and Amazon.com in November 2007. For additional availability and product information, please log onto http://www.duracellpower.com/.

About Duracell

Part of the Procter & Gamble Company , Duracell is the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries. Duracell also sells various other types of batteries including lithium and zinc air batteries, as well as rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and chargers. The company also markets general purpose flashlights. Visit http://www.duracell.com/ for more information about Duracell batteries.

About P&G

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), and Braun(R). The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

(1) The Complex Dynamics of Blackouts Study, September 2004 (2) Opinion Research Corporation, July 2006 (3) Emerson News, February 2004