Restructuring, Exit and Other Charges - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended											12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) Employee	Oct. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) Employee	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) Employee	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($) Employee	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges	$ 2,695	$ 9,417	$ 6,282	$ 2,372	$ 26,457	$ 5,392	$ 1,121	$ 1,739				$ 20,766	$ 34,709	$ 5,481
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges												10,986	26,308	3,736
Restructuring Related to Sale of Geräte- und Akkumulatorenwerk Zwickau GmbH
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges													4,930
Restructuring Charges Relating to Dissolving Joint Venture in Tunisia
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges													$ 957
ITALY | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiency of Motive Power Assembly and Distribution Center
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges										$ 6,568				85	$ 1,251	$ 5,232
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee										130
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges														499	3,037	$ 2,993
ITALY | Employee Severance | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiency of Motive Power Assembly and Distribution Center
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges										$ 6,161
ITALY | Other Charges | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiency of Motive Power Assembly and Distribution Center
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges										$ 407
EMEA | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiency Related to Motive Power Production in EMEA
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														1,610	3,104
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee													45
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges													$ 4,714
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges													1,682	2,403	749
EMEA | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiency Related to Supply Chain and General Operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												975	3,104	$ 2,260
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee														80
Restructuring reserve	817											817
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges														$ 7,500
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												1,193	2,844	1,350
Expected remaining restructuring charges	1,100											1,100
EMEA | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in EMEA - 2019 Plan
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												575	$ 347
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee													35
Restructuring reserve	48											48
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges													$ 2,500
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												784	83
EMEA | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in EMEA - 2020 Plan
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												$ 5,422
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee												70
Restructuring reserve	2,019											$ 2,019
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges												7,500
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												3,197
EMEA | Non Cash Charges | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiency Related to Supply Chain and General Operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														69
Asia | Restructurings Related to Completing Transfer of Equipment and Clean-Up of Manufacturing Facility in Jiangdu
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														212	779
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges									$ 991
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges														341	$ 648
Asia | Restructuring Program to Improve Efficiencies of Operations in Asia and Conversion of India Operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												717	$ 2,772
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee													160
Restructuring reserve	0											0
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges													$ 4,390
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												1,853	1,683
Asia | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in Asia
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												$ 522
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee												30
Restructuring reserve	0											$ 0
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges												577
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												522
Asia | Restructuring Related to Improving Profitability in India
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges													660
Asia | Non Cash Charges | Restructuring Program to Improve Efficiencies of Operations in Asia and Conversion of India Operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												130	$ 771
Asia | Non Cash Charges | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in Asia
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												55
Americas | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of General Operations in the Americas
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														960
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee													60
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges													$ 960
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												207		755
Americas | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in the Americas - 2019 Plan
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges													$ 1,970
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee													85
Restructuring reserve	10											10
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges													$ 4,100
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												480	1,480
Americas | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in the Americas - 2020 Plan
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												$ 2,586
Expected reduction in number of employees | Employee												60
Restructuring reserve	431											$ 431
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges												2,600
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges												2,145
Americas | Non Cash Charges | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of Operations in the Americas - 2019 Plan
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges													2,095
Americas | Facility Closing
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges											$ 75
Loss on sale of building											$ 210
Americas | Inventory Write-Off | Restructurings Related to Improving Efficiencies of General Operations in the Americas
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														3,457
Closure Of Facility In Targovishte, Bulgaria
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												5,123	20,242
Expected cost remaining					$ 30,000								30,000
South Africa Joint Venture Business Exit
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														3,292
South Africa Joint Venture Business Exit | Employee Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges														717
Restructuring charges, cash charges related to employee severance and other charges														2,575
South Africa Joint Venture Business Exit | Inventory Write-Off
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Write-off of assets relating to restructuring and other exit charges														2,157
South Africa Joint Venture Business Exit | Change in Estimate of Contract losses
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														1,099
South Africa Joint Venture Business Exit | Deconsolidation of Joint Venture
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges														$ 341
Richmond Kentucky Battery Formation Area Fire
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges												17,037
Charges related to restructuring plan												5,000
Expected remaining restructuring charges	50,000											50,000
Prepaid insurance	$ 12,000											12,000
Operating cash flows from insurance received												$ 10,037
Strategy to Exit Manufacture of Batteries for Diesel-Electric Submarines
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of assets			2,031
Gain on sale of certain licenses and assets			892
Fixed Asset Write-Off, Kentucky and Tennessee Plants
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges			$ 5,441
Cost of Sales | Asia | Non Cash Charges | Restructuring Related to Improving Profitability in India
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other exit charges													$ 526