IVECO Honors Exide Technologies With the Alliance Prize; Also Extends Supply Agreement through 2005

PRINCETON, N.J., March 26 -- Exide Technologies (BULLETIN BOARD: EXDTQ) (www.exide.com ), a global leader in stored electrical energy solutions, recently was honored by long- time customer IVECO as a recipient of the Alliance Prize supplier award. Amsterdam-based IVECO, a Fiat Group company, is one of Europe's leading international manufacturers of trucks and commercial vehicles and diesel engines. Exide is the sole supplier to IVECO for standard and heavy-duty truck batteries.

IVECO's newest heavy-duty truck, the IVECO Stralis, was named Truck of the Year for 2003 by a panel of discriminating journalists. The innovative vehicle, fitted with two Exide C type 220Ah heavy duty batteries, is designed to guarantee maximum profitability and performance by reducing cost of ownership and providing maximum driver comfort. In an effort to share the success of the Stralis award, IVECO created its own award -- the Alliance Prize -- to recognize suppliers who contribute to the performance, comfort, design and high quality components and materials in the vehicle.

Exide joined fellow award recipients Pirelli Tires and Z.F. in a January 30 ceremony in Turin, Italy, where IVECO executives presented the Alliance Prize for the supply of high quality batteries, tires and speed gears. In addition to awarding its key suppliers the Alliance Prize, IVECO also extended its supply agreement with Exide through 2005.

"Exide's global focus -- not just as a battery supplier, but as a provider of dedicated, world-class service -- is the success of our customers," said Craig H. Muhlhauser, Chairman and CEO of Exide Technologies. "As the Alliance Prize and renewal of our supply agreement demonstrate, IVECO has confidence in our future."

  Exide has supplied IVECO for more than 30 years.

  About Exide Technologies:

Exide Technologies, with operations in 89 countries and fiscal 2002 net sales of approximately $2.4 billion, is one of the world's largest producers and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. The company's three global business groups - transportation, motive power and network power -- provide a comprehensive range of stored electrical energy products and services for industrial and transportation applications. Transportation markets include original-equipment and aftermarket automotive, heavy-duty truck, agricultural and marine applications, and new technologies for hybrid vehicles and 42-volt automotive applications.

Industrial markets include network power applications such as telecommunications systems, fuel-cell load leveling, electric utilities, railroads, photovoltaic (solar-power related) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and motive-power applications including lift trucks, mining and other commercial vehicles.

Further information about Exide, its financial results and other information is available at www.exide.com .

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements as defined by the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. As such, they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the company to be materially different from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These are enumerated in further detail in the company's Form 10-K.

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