Delivering Bosch Batteries

The additional electrical ancillary equipment on Commercial and Public Service Vehicles has increased extensively over the last 10 years.  A standard specification starter battery may now struggle to perform adequately when fitted to applications where many electrical extras have been installed.  Inside the cab of a modern Commercial Vehicle (CV) you can find microwaves, small ovens, kettles, cool boxes, TVs, laptops and other electrical items connected to the numerous sockets available.  Some may also be fitted as standard!  This is in addition to other types of electrical equipment that are required for normal day to day operations.  And when the engine is not running, the batteries supply the energy. This can result in overcycling the battery, if the correct size and more importantly, the correct battery technology are not fitted.

A standard lead-acid starter battery is designed to supply a very high current for a short period of time to start the engine.  It can supply energy for other quiescent loads providing they are not too great, or they do not run for too long.  Failing to fit the right power and battery technology, the battery will be ‘overworked’ resulting in early service failure.

Multiple drop applications with tail lifts can also suffer from battery issues, especially if the normal daily run is in a small local area.   Travelling a short distance does not allow enough energy to be supplied back to the batteries, by a vehicle’s charging system.  Many trailers now have multiple internal lights fitted to help with loading / unloading.  Again, this can result in batteries running at low voltages which will reduce their service life.

This is very similar to a caravan battery; which is constructed differently to an automotive starter battery.  These should never be interchanged as they are designed for specific purposes: and will fail prematurely within their service life if fitted to an incorrect application.

For the newer additional CV loads, mentioned above, a dual purpose battery of a Cold Cranking Amp and Ampere Hour Capacity is required.  This will supply the large amount of energy required to start the engine and supply smaller loads for the various electrical items.  It is also vital that the battery can undertake many discharge and recharge cycles over its lifetime because of the requirements of the modern vehicle.

The Bosch range of EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery) Commercial Vehicle products are ideal for these applications and are available in the 627, 625 and 629 box sizes.  Other options would be to fit the Odyssey Extreme AGM or Trojan overdrive AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) units.  However, some modifications to the battery housing may be required for these as they are different physical sizes.

The requirement for the more modern vehicles is now more comfort orientated, but it is important to understand that these changes require a different size and battery technology.  These may appear to be more expensive, but the whole lifetime cost and down time are greatly reduced if they are fitted.

Platinum can help determine the correct specification and battery technology if you are experiencing issues, downtime, and premature failures; by utilising their Workout Specialist and vastly experienced Technical Team.