Optima Batteries

Optima Batteries was founded by Gates Rubber Company, spun off as an independent company, and is now owned by Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls Power Solutions). The brand's signature SpiralCell technology winds individual lead-acid cells into tight cylinders using 99.99% pure lead — a design that increases active plate surface area, stiffens the cells against vibration fatigue, and allows the AGM battery to accept deep discharge cycles that would sulfate a conventional flat-plate design.

The product line is segmented by use case: RedTop for starting-only applications (highest peak CCA), YellowTop for dual-purpose use where a vehicle's accessory load requires deep-cycle recharge tolerance alongside starter current, and BlueTop for marine and RV applications. Group sizes cover the most common BCI footprints in light-truck and passenger-car applications; Group 34/78 and Group 35 are the highest-volume automotive SKUs.

Optima is manufactured at a Clarios facility in Monterrey, Mexico. The SpiralCell construction is a proprietary Optima design; the Clarios manufacturing network also produces Interstate, DieHard, and other battery brands, but SpiralCell is exclusive to Optima.