Eneloop Prototype Products

Prototype products that were never available to the public.

Here are a few prototype items that Sanyo never put into production.

Nevertheless something to look out for as an Eneloop collector. I haven`t come across any Panasonic Eneloop prototype products. This doesn`t mean there aren`t. It just means that I need to search harder….

Eneloop bell:

Don`t ask me what kind of bell this is. Not just a regular eneloop product. It doesn`t look like a doorbell, or does it?
Nothing tells me if there are batteries inside or if it is really just a simple bell.  These are just a few of the unique eneloop prototype products

Eneloop phone:

The official name is supposed to be the eneloophone. It stands in something that looks like a cupcake. Maybe its a Qi charger? Anyhow it never made it into production, so we might never actually know any more details.

Eneloop fax:

This picture shows the same product as the eneloophone above, but with a fax machine and a cupcake. Something that is definitely more of a `90s thing than a 21st century prototype.
I believe the cup cake is a charge cradle to wirelessly charge the batteries inside the phone.

Eneloop charger board:

To charge your dedicated battery packs wirelessly with Qi (not the batteries in the middle of the photograph). When Panasonic took over Sanyo, these types of charger boards made it into production, but with a different design. They are now called QE-TM101.

Solar panel / charger

This pretty interesting design didn`t made it into production either, it looks different from the ones that did make it into production. See https://eneloop101.com/eneloop-products/

A Japanese website displayed all kinds of these Eneloop Universe products: http://kaden.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/news/2007/10/31/1515.html

Eneloop UFO

Eneloop UFO? 

I don`t have a clue to what this is. But it was supposed to be a kind of wireless Lan station that would also work as a battery pack of some sort including a solar panel. It`s branded as Willcom and Eneloop. Willcom is a Japanese cellphone carrier.

I think this would look cool if it was a bluetooth speaker!

Prototype eneloop batteries

Prototype Limited edition

Keep in mind that this picture is from 2007, and that the first real eneloop limited editions were available from 2009. This means that the idea was born long before they put them onto the market. I am a little sad these didnt make it.

I really like the design of these….. I want them! With the small font! But I can`t make up what is the device that these are in. Is that a charger perhaps? A wireless charger?

During my interview with 2 Eneloop engineers, they told me these were likely just paper wrappers for show.. but do you believe that?

Eneloop vacuum cleaner

Or is it a clock? How far can you go. I can imagine this thing could hang off a wall. But looking at the 2 buttons on the front, it might be a wireless vacuum cleaner as well. Oh, actually the round piece that is attached to the wall might be it’s charge station, and you might be able to take the longer piece off from that hook, so that it can be used as a vacuum cleaner?… I guess…

Found any other prototype products?

Ever seen anything else rare?

Please let me know by contacting me at  or post it on the eneloop101 facebook page.

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