NEWS RELEASE

Contacts:

HARDING ENERGY INTRODUCES 2 HOUR RAPID CHARGER KIT
WITH FOUR QUEST® 2000 mAh AA PLATINUM
RECHARGEABLE NiMH BATTERIES

Features new low MSRP of $19.98 for the kit.

NORTON SHORES, MI - August 20, 2004 - Users of digital cameras, MP3 players, games, and portable electronics now have a new, lower cost way to have fully-charged, powerful batteries quickly with Harding Energy's Quest® 2 Hour Rapid Charger kit. For a highly competitive MSRP of just $19.98, the kit includes the 2 Hour Rapid Charger, four Quest® Platinum 2000 mAh AA nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries, a 110V AC Adapter, and a 12V DC Auto Adapter. The Quest® 2 Hour Rapid Charger will charge up to four AA or AAA Quest® NiMH batteries at the same time and will easily fit into a small camera case or pocket.

"The Quest® 2 Hour Rapid Charger kit is ideal for people on the go that need high-capacity batteries that can be quickly recharged," said Steve Morgan, Director of Marketing and Sales, Harding Energy, Inc. "It allows those with high-demand, high-drain portable products such as digital cameras, CD players, and personal digital assistants (PDA), to quickly recharge and reuse their batteries when they need them, giving the products more power, more consistently and more economically."

Quest® NiMH batteries are fully rechargeable, memory-free batteries that last four times as long between charges as other types of rechargeable batteries.

"The benefits are obvious," says Morgan. "For example, by delivering more power over a longer period of time, digital camera users can take up to twice as many pictures on a single charge of Quest® batteries, when compared with a single charge of nickel cadmium (NiCAD), and up to ten times as many pictures when compared with alkaline batteries." In addition, Quest® batteries are environmentally friendly, containing no toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead or lithium.

Quest 2 Hour Rapid Charger Features

The Quest 2 Hour Rapid Charger has microprocessor controlled charging circuits and is capable of charging pairs of AA and/or AAA cells at the same time. The charger signals with an indicator light for each pair of batteries to inform the user when charging begins and when the battery is fully charged. When the batteries are fully charged, the unit automatically switches to a top off/maintenance charge, allowing batteries to be left in the charger indefinitely without causing any damage.

Features include:

• Vented cover to help keep battery temperature low while storing batteries with the cover down in maintenance charge mode.
• UL and CUL certified AC Adapter.
• 12V DC Auto Adapter with light to indicate that it is plugged in correctly.
• Reverse polarity protection to prevent the user from putting the batteries into the charger upside down.
• Charging instructions printed on charger.
• One-year warranty on charger and batteries.
• Packaging in English and French

Pricing

The Quest® 2 Hour Rapid Charger Kit suggested retail price is $19.98 with four Platinum2 batteries. Additional Quest® 2000 mAh Platinum batteries are available for a suggested retail price of $12.95 for a package of four.

Product Images

To download digital images of Quest® products, please visit the Product Image section of our website.

Distribution

The primary distributor for Quest® batteries in the U.S. and Canada is Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., Mahwah, New Jersey. For information on how to become a Quest battery dealer, contact Steve Morgan, Harding Energy, smorgan@hardingenergy.com, 231-798-7033.

Harding Energy, Inc.

Harding Energy, Inc., headquartered in Norton Shores, Michigan, is a world wide manufacturer of nickel metal hydride (NiMH) technology, from cell assembly to custom battery pack design and construction. Harding Energy's batteries are created from American invented, patented and proven technology.

Harding Energy is a true single source supplier, offering a full range of batteries, chargers, and packaging. The company controls all aspects of cell manufacturing, battery assembly and packaging, resulting in substantial cost savings and faster turnaround time. The Harding Service Program offers specialized cell design, customized chemistry, charging methods, just-in-time delivery and much more.

Please visit the Harding Energy web site at www.hardingenergy.com.

# # #