Exhibit 99.1


                                                         1400 Union Meeting Road
                                                         Blue Bell, PA 19422
                                                         Phone:  215-619-2700

Shareholder Contacts:
Stephen E. Markert, Jr. of C&D:  215-619-7835
Joseph Crivelli of Gregory FCA, for C&D:  610-642-8253




                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                      C&D TECHNOLOGIES BOARD AUTHORIZES NEW

                            STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM


BLUE BELL, PA, October 1, 2004 - C&D Technologies,  Inc. (NYSE:  CHP), a leading
North American  producer and marketer of electrical power storage and conversion
products used in telecommunications and industrial applications,  announced that
its Board of  Directors  authorized  a new Stock  Repurchase  Program  effective
September 30, 2004. Under the program, the company is permitted to repurchase up
to 1,000,000  shares of C&D  Technologies  common stock having a total  purchase
price of no  greater  than  $25,000,000.  This  program  entirely  replaces  and
supersedes all previously authorized stock repurchase programs.

The share purchase  authorization allows the company to make purchases from time
to time on the open  market  at  prevailing  prices or in  privately  negotiated
transactions.  The company's  management will make purchase decisions based upon
market conditions and other considerations. There are approximately 25.3 million
shares of C&D Technologies common stock outstanding.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of
Section 27A of the  Securities  Act of 1933 and  Section  21E of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934) which are based on management's  current  expectations and
are subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Words and expressions
reflecting  something  other  than  historical  fact are  intended  to  identify
forward-looking  statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such
statements.  Factors that appear with the forward-looking  statements, or in the
company's   Securities  and  Exchange   Commission  filings  (including  without
limitation  the  company's  annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
January 31, 2004, or the quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q thereafter), could
cause the company's actual results to differ  materially from those expressed in
any forward-looking statements made herein.


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