Who Makes Continental Batteries? (Continental Battery Review)
There once was a time where you could point your finger at a company and say ‘they make their own products in this country’. But that is not the case anymore as overseas companies offer lower costs and faster service.
Who makes Continental batteries? This is a good question as on their brand page at their website; Continental still lists their own brand among a dozen others approx. They are listed as still making their own batteries even though the company distributes aftermarket batteries from lesser-known makers.
To learn more about Continental batteries and who makes them, just continue to read our article. it has the information to help you get to the source of this issue and feel confident in using Continental batteries.
Continental Batteries 101
Who Manufactures Continental Batteries?
It is hard to get a straight answer from Continental as their website likes to do business-speak. That is, they say a lot without saying anything at all. Their brand list on their brand web page lists their own brand along with 14 other brands of batteries they distribute.
The rumor is that this company doesn’t make their own batteries anymore but simply re-brands those from other companies. We want to give the company the benefit of the doubt and say that they are practicing a tried and true business strategy of providing the specs and letting other companies make their batteries for them.
This may be so as the company does not appear on this list of American companies that produce batteries in America. This list is not completed yet, and it is still being added, so there is hope that Continental will be added later.
However, do not hold your breath as Bloomberg reports that the company is merely a distributor now and does not produce its own batteries. If any additional information comes to light that indicates otherwise, we will report on that information.
How Long do Continental Batteries Last?
The lifespan of a battery really does depend on the climate where you live. In the cooler northern regions of the country, you can expect a battery to last 5+ years. That is with proper treatment.
If you live in a very hot region of the country, you would be fortunate to have your battery last 3+ years. While the heat helps the battery produce electricity, it also helps the battery to degrade faster.
Another factor in the longevity of a battery is the type of use it receives. Those who only drive part-time and for short trips only, may not fully recharge their battery. This situation does not help the longevity of the battery.
Then the vibration a battery endures aids the breakdown of the battery’s internal parts. A lot of vibration will shorten the lifespan of the battery. This is also true when your charging system starts to malfunction.
It doesn’t matter if it is undercharging or overcharging. The life of the battery gets shorter when your charging system is not working right. Continental does provide warranties on their batteries which range from 1 1/2 years to 4 years in length.
How Much does a Continental Battery Cost?
Their web page does show different products the company sells. However, they do not show the price of each battery. There is a how-to buy web page, but the information on it simply states they can ship certain batteries to your home. But no price is mentioned.
Their web page listing their distribution is a nice map, but it seems that Continental focuses on states in the country’s heartland and the eastern seaboard from Pennsylvania down to Florida. They say there are over 90 distribution centers and 25,000 retail outlets for their batteries.
All of that is to say that it depends on the type of battery you buy, where you buy it, and its size. The cost range is extensive, going anywhere from $25 to $200. However, since Continental deals in batteries other than automotive, your costs may be lower for those options.
The exact cost you will have to pay will depend on where you live in the country, which brand of Continental batteries you buy, and if there is a sale or not. It is hard to be specific when there are too many variables to consider.
Are Continental Batteries Any Good?
The consensus is that Continental is still selling top-of-the-line batteries. At one review site, 33 people gave a 5-star rating while only 1 gave a 1-star rating. In between, 7 people gave a 3 or 4-star rating while no one listed a 2.
In reading other reviews, the comments generally are favorable. One owner said his 4-year-old batteries started right up in 5 degrees F weather. The other side of the coin has these batteries not holding a charge after 1 year of use.
The performance you receive will depend on your weather conditions, how you use the batteries, and so on. One person suggested getting a battery monitor to make battery use a lot easier.
These battery monitors can help you in a big way to tell you how many hours of charge you have left in the battery. They also indicate when the battery is at 100% charge.
If you want to get the best bang for your buck out of the Continental batteries, you should also invest in a top-of-the-line battery monitor. Keeping in mind, of course, that battery monitors may not spare you the frustration if you pick up a bad battery by mistake.
What do Other Continental Battery Reviews Say?
In general, the other reviewers state that this brand of battery is top-notch, and you should not be disappointed with its performance. But no battery is going to be perfect, and you may get a lemon.
As one reviewer stated, her marine batteries from this company did not last for over a year. They failed to hold a charge. Of course, this may have been due to the weather conditions and how they operated their boat, but it is hard to say.
Lemons do pop up from time to time, as some do sneak past quality control. It is the luck of the draw and if you can, return the battery as soon as possible to the place you bought it to see about getting a replacement.
Overall, the reviews we saw favored this battery brand and thought they were good products to buy. Since Continental owns several aftermarket battery companies, we cannot speak to the quality of those batteries.
Their own website advertises that they own or distribute over 14 different brands of batteries. You may be getting a Continental without knowing it. Ellis is one of those brands, and Continental purchased the company in 2019. You can read about it at this link and Ellis was just one of 4 battery companies Continental purchased that year.
Continental Golf Cart Batteries
According to different sources, Continental golf cart batteries are supposed to be one of the better brands. One outlet sells them for $200 if you bring back the core. If not, then add $25 to your costs.
These batteries usually come with only a 1-year warranty. Under the Continental name, this company seems to only produce and sell 5 golf cart battery types. You can see them at this link. However, we did not notice a price.
All the specs are listed on that web page so that you can find the suitable model for your golf cart. Since Continental is also a distributor for other companies, you may find non-Continental batteries that will fit your needs. The filters on that web page will help you find a brand you prefer.
One of the negatives that have been published about these and other Continental batteries is constant maintenance. The same source also stated that the company does not make its own batteries anymore, but they did not say how that arrangement worked.
You may be getting a Johnson Controls or Trojan battery under the Continental name. But, even if that is so, their batteries are cheaper and run in the range of $100 to $200. You may be getting a top-quality battery at a lower price.
Continental Marine Battery
When it comes to marine batteries, Continental brand does not make at least one top 7 list on the internet. The company has a few web pages ranking on the first page, and they all tout the ability and quality of their marine batteries.
However, we should mention that the one brand that did make the list 6 times is a brand that is either owned by or distributed by Continental- Optima marine batteries. They occupied positions 2 to 7, so they may make or distribute top marine batteries. Just not under the Continental brand name.
The marine batteries made and distributed under the Continental brand name have a less than respectable reputation. There are more complaints about this type of battery than there were for the auto batteries.
The most common complaint was that they do not last a year. The same people complaining about the Continental batteries are praising the Optima, which has the Continental connection.
One reason why people complain about Continental batteries not lasting is that they may have used a faulty charger, and instead of blaming the charger, they blame the battery company. However, the battery charger does not make up for the batteries that last for only one year.
Some Big Continental News
We have mentioned that this company may own a lot of the brands that they distribute. In fact, we have come across reports that in the last 5 years, this company has bought up to 8 different battery companies in 7 different states.
Another report says that there are 16 companies under the control of Continental, which is why their reputation for lower quality batteries may have some truth to it. Then some say that Johnson Controls and Triton make the batteries that Continental sells and distributes.
But this is not the big news about Continental. It seems that the company was bought by a private equity firm In January of this year. The firm is called H.I.G. Capital and this purchase was reported on January 22, 2021.
The equity firm manages or owns about $43 billion, so the money was there for one of its affiliates to purchase Continental Battery Holding Corp. This sale comes 2 years after Continental purchased 5 of its competitors.
The current management team that ran Continental before this sale is still managing the firm after the sale. How this will affect the quality of the Continental family of batteries is not certain.
Everyone will have to wait and see what time will bring. Right now, the company is boasting that they have over 100 distribution centers sending batteries to over 30,000 retail outlets.
The company remains based in Dallas, Texas, and H.I.G. is based in Miami, with offices located throughout the nation. H.I.G also manages and invests in over 300 companies around the world. You can read about this sale at this link.
Some Final Words
When it comes to any product, including batteries, there will be good companies and bad ones. Continental seems to be one of the better ones when it comes to aftermarket batteries.
However, there is no such thing as a perfect company producing perfect products. Your experience with this battery brand, whether for auto, RVs, boats or golf carts, etc., will differ, and you may be like many other battery owners and get a top-performing unit. Or you may not. It all depends.
