Interstate Battery System of America, Inc., or Interstate Batteries, is an American company that sells and distributes batteries. It sells automobile batteries from Brookfield Business Partners, Exide Technologies, and others through independent distributors.
The company, which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, offers starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, in addition to batteries for motorcycles, lawn and garden equipment, and marine/RV, in addition to other similar applications.
Interstate Batteries distributes batteries to nearly 200,000 dealers through its distributor network. Individual distributors are also located in Bermuda, Bolivia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the USA.
In addition, Interstate Batteries operates over 200 corporate- and franchise-owned retail locations.
Ok, for real now, let’s get to it!
What is the history of interstate batteries?
John Searcy began selling automobile batteries to wholesalers out of the back of his red Studebaker pickup truck in the spring of 1950 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Two years later, he officially established his new business, naming it Interstate Battery System in honor of the new interstate highway system. John Searcy retired in 1978 and left the business in the hands of Chairman and President Norm Miller.
Miller was able to maintain the company’s growth and, by the 1980s, Interstate Batteries had distributors in all 50 states and in Canada. In this timeframe, they also developed the Interstate Batteries Great American Race, which was a cross-country event that lasted for two weeks and was featured nationally for 13 years.
There were new marketing opportunities that came from the race, including national TV ad spots, sponsorship of champions, and commercials on the Paul Harvey news radio show.
In 1990, Tommy Miller, Norm’s brother, took over as president and CEO of Interstate Batteries, while Norm remained chairman of the board. At this point, Interstate Batteries also became interested in NASCAR. In 1992, Interstate Batteries became the primary sponsor for Joe Gibbs’ new Winston Cup team.
That year, Gibbs’ team won the race. Carlos Sepulveda succeeded Tommy Miller as president and CEO in March 2004. He ran the business for almost a decade until he left to join the Triumph Bancorp Group in 2013. Scott Miller, Norm Miller’s son, became president and CEO in 2013.
Who makes interstate batteries?
Interstate batteries are manufactured by Interstate Batteries (or Interstate Battery System of America). This is an American-owned company, established in the United States.
Only a limited number of affiliated partners, such as Exide Technologies and Brookfield Business Partners, manufacture automotive batteries. Its corporate office is located in Dallas, Texas.
The batteries are sold individually by various suppliers. In addition, there are various configurations of Interstate batteries when they are used in vehicles, motorcycles, boats, or a person’s home lawnmower. More than 200,000 dealers are in the distribution network.
Distributors in various parts of the world are also present, including Canada, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bolivia, Bermuda, Guatemala and more.
What are the types of interstate batteries?
Here are the most common interstate battery types:
#1. AGM Battery.
AGM Batteries are sealed, and they contain acid, so they are spill-proof and maintenance-free. This battery primarily goes in Powersports applications.
#2. MT Battery.
This interstate, non-AGM battery behaves to specifications and performs well in vehicles and trucks in temperate areas.
#3. MTP Battery.
As a non-AGM battery design, this one is for high-cranking performance in cold to mild climate usage. Interestingly enough, these have longevity in battery life!
#4. Marine Battery.
If you are looking for a battery that can deep cycle as well as start, then the Marine Battery line is probably going to be your best choice. This battery is very durable and, again, still has nice longevity.
#5. MTZ Battery.
This MTZ Battery is great for keeping power for the most recent model vehicle you purchase, particularly for drivers that plug in DVD players, GPS units, phone chargers, and so on.
#6. Marine RV.
Most consumers view this battery as best for touring because it has the convenience of a user and adequate power for electronics with a larger demand. Most car owners believe these are the best interstate batteries:
- AGM battery with 12 volts, 110 Ah and no maintenance from Interstate.
- 35 Ah Interstate battery, 12 volts in size, made for smaller conventional cars.
- Interstate battery which is 12 volts, 75 Ah, and has some design in VVRLA to seem spilled.
Are interstate batteries good?
Interstate Batteries have great performance. If you care about quality and durability, Interstate Battery offers some of the best batteries, so definitely pick them.
Still, interstate batteries are not really expensive considering all these once-in-a-lifetime features. Besides, this offers batteries from top companies like Exide and Brookfield.
Interstate batteries have been one of the more popular replacement battery brands, even though many experts don’t rate them number one in their rankings.
It is a tough job to find something bad to say about Interstate Batteries. On the whole, the company and its products receive all good reviews. The batteries are known for the highest quality, and there is a wide range of applications for the battery.
The nature of taking on any business means you always need to be on guard. But there are only a couple of things to keep an eye out for, such as the limited warranty and poor customer service experience.
What are the pros and cons of interstate batteries?
Here are the pros and cons:
Pros include:
Multiple Suppliers:
While it seems like a hard decision to have multiple suppliers as opposed to a single supplier, it’s ultimately for the best custom front. Manufacturing and delivering batteries are a costly endeavor.
Certain parts of the country wouldn’t have the proper equipment if a single source was used. In fact, one source would create consistency, and Interstate Batteries doesn’t seem to have any issues using one source because they use trusted suppliers.
The reality is that there are many different locations across the country that can get you the batteries.
The price can be held down for many reasons, and you have the ability to purchase batteries almost anywhere.
Maximum Compatibility:
Interstate Batteries doesn’t just want to develop one style of battery. Instead, there is a battery for nearly any application, rather than focusing on a specific niche market.
You should be able to find an Interstate Battery that fits right in any application from car batteries to batteries to start your lawnmower. They’re also easy to find since they are found in most retail outlets.
Dependable Construction:
Interstate batteries are known for their durability. Each battery has a durable shell that can endure any jolts, bumps, and havoc wreaked through the car.
Additionally, the batteries are constructed with the highest levels of precautions. This allows an Interstate Battery to potentially have the longest lifespan.
Sealed Designs:
Today’s Interstate batteries are generally sealed meaning you don’t have to worry about maintenance or adding water to the battery – this sealed ability can help the battery hold a charge longer.
Sealed batteries are usually more compact as well. Sealed batteries can typically be mounted in any orientation and will still ensure an exact fit.
Reasonable Price:
Despite the many benefits, you won’t spend a lot of money installing an Interstate Battery in your car. In fact, the prices on Interstate Batteries are similar to those of most other batteries available. So you will get more battery for your money.
When you choose your Interstate battery for your car, you likely won’t see much difference between the Interstate battery choice, and the leading competition.
If you want to know whether the Interstate battery selection is the right battery for your car, you need to compare all the specifications to those of the other manufacturer.
Cons include:
Warranty length:
Interstate batteries are so reliable you might not care how long the warranty lasts. Nonetheless, you will want to have insurance in case of a manufacturing flaw.
Some Interstate batteries have a shorter warranty length than some batteries from the competition, which is something to consider if you don’t want to pay for a bad battery.
Customer service issues:
You probably won’t have to call a battery company for assistance very often, but it is nice to know that you will be treated with respect and dignity if you do need to contact someone in customer service about an issue.
Customer service is one of the major complaints in reviews for Interstate Batteries, and you should consider that customer service has appeared to decline significantly in recent years.