Marvin --
You are witnessing Eneloop battery consumer/retail changes for multiple reasons,
since they were first introduced in 2005.
Where to Buy Eneloop Batteries
http://panasonic.net/energy/eneloop/wheretobuy/Sanyo pioneered the production of nickel cadmium batteries in 1964,
nickel metal hydride batteries in 1990, lithium ion batteries in 1994, and
lithium polymer batteries in 1999.
In 2000, it acquired Toshiba's nickel metal hydride battery business, including the Takasaki factory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanyo===
1. Panasonic acquires Sanyo (2008-2012)On November 2, 2008, Sanyo and Panasonic announced that they have agreed on the main points of a proposed buyout that would make Sanyo a subsidiary of Panasonic and a formal announcement of the acquisition was made on Sanyo's web site on December 19, 2008.
They became a subsidiary of Panasonic on December 21, 2009.
On July 29. 2010 Panasonic reached an agreement to acquire the remaining shares of Panasonic Electric Works and Sanyo shares for $9.4 billion.
By April 2012, parent company Panasonic announced plans to terminate the Sanyo brand, however it will remain on some of the products where the Sanyo brand still holds value to consumers.
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2. Sanyo Eneloop - Multiple technology generations (2005-present)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EneloopEneloop Global Product page - Panasonic
http://panasonic.net/energy/eneloop/===
3. Global consolidation of nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic_EV_Energy_CoPrimearth EV Energy (PEVE) is the supplier of the nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery packs for Toyota’s hybrids, as well as for Honda (Civic hybrid and first generation Insight) hybrids.
The company also provides the NiMH prismatic battery modules for the General Motors 2-mode hybrids. The company currently offers only NiMH products.
The company was known as Panasonic EV Energy Co until 2 June 2010.
The company was formed in 1996 as a joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic, with Panasonic holding 60% of the capital.
Panasonic sold 40.5% of the company to Toyota as a condition of purchasing Sanyo. Panasonic decided to reduce its stake in Panasonic EV Energy Co to speed up approval from anti-trust authorities in China and the U.S.
The purchase of Sanyo gives Panasonic a market share of around 80% in nickel hydride batteries.In early 2011, it is reported that Prime Earth EV Energy will start mass-producing lithium batteries for plug-in hybrids of Toyota at a factory in Shizuoka Prefecture, south of Tokyo, Japan.
