Car Battery Information

Simply put, a car battery has two purposes:

1. It must be able to start the car's engine.
2. It must be able to run the car's electrical equipment; lights, radio, navigation system etc.

Different properties of a car battery affect how well a battery performs these tasks. The main properties to look at are the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and the Amp Hour (AH).

The AH of a battery is a universally recognised unit of measurement, and therefore can be comparable across manufacturers. It is a measure of the amount of charge a battery can hold. The simple electrical equation for charge is current x time, hence Amps x Hours.

The larger the AH figure of the battery the longer it will be able to turn your engine over and, run your radio, lights etc when the engine is switched off.

The CCA of a battery is a measure a battery's ability to turn the car's engine over. The higher the CCA the more powerful it is. Choosing a battery with a lower than recommended CCA will cause underperformance, especially in cold conditions, and may even fail to start the vehicle. The CCA of a battery is measured in a number of ways depending on the manufacturer. This can cause confusion so please take care when comparing the following:

SAE: This measures the current available when draining the battery for 30 seconds to 1.2 Volts per cell.

EN: This measures the current available when draining the battery for 10 seconds to 1.25 Volts per cell.

DIN: This measures the current available when draining the battery for 30 seconds to 1.5 Volts per cell.

IEC: This measures the current available when draining the battery for 60 seconds to 1.4 Volts per cell.

All these measurements are carried out at a temperature of -18 degrees Celcius.

So, from these statements the best thing to do is get a battery with the highest AH and highest CCA. The only problem here is that battery's CCA and AH value, are proportional to the physical size of the battery; the bigger the battery the higher these values can be. Most cars have a specific location for the battery, and therefore you are restricted as to the maximum size of battery you can use. This is where we aim to help. All available information is on our website. With a wealth of brands and the knowledge to advise, you can be sure to get the best battery to suit your needs. Please browse our site or call one of our battery experts to point you in the right direction.