Let’s start something

A more efficient type of battery is available for your vehicle

by TOM BEAMAN

The lead-acid battery technology that starts most cars was invented in 1860 and has remained largely unchanged from its original intended use: to power lights in train carriages. However, with the proliferation of advanced electrical system features and high-power components in today’s cars, such as active chassis systems, lane departure warnings, low-tire-pressure alerts, Wi-Fi and much more, the power demand of automotive batteries has never been greater.

That’s why the automotive industry is turning to an improved battery technology. Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries deliver additional power—and more.

All old-school lead-acid batteries have a basic design: positive and negative terminals on the outside and positive and negative lead plates inside immersed in an electrolyte consisting of 75% water and 25% sulphuric acid. These traditional automotive batteries convert chemical energy into electricity (amperage) by moving electrons through the plates and between the terminals.

AGM batteries are similar, but instead of housing a free-flowing liquid, the electrolyte is absorbed into fibreglass mats that are pressed together with the lead plates like a multi-layered sandwich, which creates a more efficient environment to generate the needed power.

“In a traditional, or flooded, lead-acid battery, the electrons must fight their way through the electrolyte to produce electricity—think of the resistance you feel when you try to push your hand through the water in a pool,” explains Jeff Barron, manager of the Interstate battery laboratory. “The resistance is lower in the absorbed mat design, so the electrons move quicker and more evenly. This, Barron says, “provides 15% more pulse cranking amps than flooded batteries and greater energy storage capacity.”

In short, AGM batteries can last up to twice as long as a traditional battery, and they are more forgiving if a dome light is left on.