2006-12-10 03:21:47 · 6 answers · asked by smilebringer 1 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Other - Electronics
If you average the cost over the life of the battery, the rechargeable battery is less than the alkaline battery.
2006-12-10 16:21:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like everything, it has to do with production volume. If you look at a wall of batteries at a place like Fry's, you see that they have one side of the aisle is alkaline and about 1/5 of another aisle is rechargeable.
There are certain fixed costs to setting up to make batteries (or anything, really), so the more you make the smaller the amount of the fixed cost is charged to each battery. That also holds true for things that you use when making batteries, like the boxes, packaging, outside cover, the ends, etc., so when you use fewer of those, your costs for those are higher, too. Put them all together and it adds up to higher cost batteries.
If the manufacturers were somehow forced to completely stop alkaline production and switch to rechargeables, the costs would come down.
2006-12-10 18:45:28 · answer #2 · answered by sd_ducksoup 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they are suppose to save you money, by being able to be recharged over 100 times before it is no longer any good. I don't like them, because their voltage is always lower than alkaline and carbon zinc cells.
2006-12-10 03:24:56 · answer #3 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe its price fixing, manufacturers know you wont buy as many as disposable ones so they jack the price up
2006-12-10 03:24:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are not costly.
2006-12-10 04:54:29 · answer #5 · answered by de2006 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because they last longer than regular batteries, stewpid.
2006-12-10 03:23:53 · answer #6 · answered by tony h 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋