Optima Batteries, the founder and world's largest producer of spiral wound cell batteries, has announced the introduction of the 75/35/25 Red Top 12-volt starting battery.

The Optima battery is for use in automobiles, small to medium-size trucks, tractors, farming machinery, off-highway tools and industrial applications. The 75/35/25 Red Top battery covers an additional 30 percent of existing vehicle battery replacement applications. The battery can also be mounted in any position.

In Optima batteries, rolls of high-purity lead plates are tightly densed into six spiral wound cells. The design provides over twice the surface area for the lead alloy electrodes compared to conventional designs. The rolled electrodes are alone separated by fiberglass matting material for low internal resistance. This results in significantly increased cranking power and up to two to three times longer shelf life.

Optima batteries can sit unused for up to one year and still can start a vehicle. In addition, low internal resistance reduces charge time to as low as 1 hour for a full charge, compared to the 10 to 16 hours required for recharging conventional batteries.

Each of the six spiral cells is enclosed in its own cylindrical silo within the plastic battery case, forming a sealed, closed system that resembles a six-pack of canned beverages.

Spiral Cell batteries deliver high power output that is both faster and longer than conventional batteries, resulting in greater cranking ability and less capacity reduction at high current loads. The sturdy Spiral Cell construction minimizes the No. 1 cause of battery failure, plate shedding and positive grid disintegration.

The electrolyte in the spiral cell design is bound into the densely packed fiberglass fibers. In conventional batteries, the acid sloshes around within the battery compartment and can leak through vent valves or when a battery's case is broken. The spiral rolled electrodes and fiberglass mats are virtually impervious to vibration and impact, and provide consistent higher performance under extreme temperatures.

And the completely sealed, absorbed electrolyte design means that Optima batteries, like the Orbital, won't spill, leak or corrode. It's a proven and safe maintenance-free design. The consumer never has to add water or clean terminals. And Optima batteries can be shipped by overnight delivery services and the U.S. Postal Service.