Sanyo, back in black, makes big push in batteries

Japan's ailing Sanyo Electric unveiled plans Tuesday to invest 3.2 billion dollars in rechargeable batteries and other businesses as it reported a return to the black for the fiscal first half.
The planned investment is part of Sanyo's efforts to revitalise its struggling operations after three straight annual losses caused by fierce price competition in consumer electronics.
Sanyo Electric Co. is one of the world's top makers of lithium-ion batteries that are used in electronic goods such as laptop computers and are being developed by the auto industry for use in petrol-electric hybrids.