Designed for continuous use and yet always flexible

The truck battery is designed for continuous use under extreme conditions and must meet special quality requirements. The focus here is on properties such as vibration resistance, freedom from maintenance and a long service life. Compared to starter batteries for cars, they differ particularly in their size, weight, capacity and the mains voltage, which is usually 24V instead of 12V. Accordingly, you usually need a 24V truck battery or, if necessary, a series connection of two 12V batteries.

If you need help with the selection, please contact us by phone on 0895 419 6384 - or by e-mail to [email protected] or via our contact form - we will be happy to help you.

Properties of a truck battery

Especially in the performance-demanding area of commercial vehicles, a lot is demanded of batteries in their everyday life and in the area of logistics, fast and punctual delivery is more important than ever. The same applies to use in buses, construction or agricultural machinery. Reliability, performance and efficiency are the most important assets in the industry. This is precisely why batteries are usually developed to minimize the risk of failure and secure competitive advantages for customers. Particular attention is paid to the criteria of vibration resistance, cycle stability and starting performance.

• Truck wet batteries are characterized in particular by their low self-discharge rate and their load resistance at a low state of charge. Whether from Varta, Exide or even BannerThis technology is particularly suitable for older vehicles or vehicles with normal equipment and energy requirements.

• For vehicles with better and more power-hungry equipment with high energy requirements, the following are suitable EFB batteriessuch as the EFB from Varta or Exide are ideal. These are particularly vibration-resistant, so vibration is not a problem. They also impress with their very high cycle stability and starting performance.

• The premium version of the truck battery uses AGM technology. AGM batteries are the perfect solution, especially when modern trucks have a very high energy requirement and a very large list of optional extras, such as auxiliary heating and an extended hotel function. This technology allows extreme vibration resistance with above-average performance and a significantly increased service life. Models such as the Varta A1 ProMotive AGM are ideal for meeting all these requirements.

In comparison to starter batteries for cars, the cold current (A) and the storage capacity (Ah) also differ. For cars, the cold current is between 200 and 850 A, whereas trucks have a significantly higher cold current requirement of 500 to 1300 A. The storage capacities depend on various factors, such as the weight of the vehicle. Trucks up to 7.5 tons require batteries with capacities from 175 Ah and more, vehicles over 7.5 tons require capacities of up to 225 Ah. The best way to find out exactly what applies to you and meets your requirements in terms of amperage and storage capacity is to look at the battery to be replaced.

Option of parallel or series connection

As already explained, the on-board power supply voltage of motor vehicles is normally 12V, whereas trucks have a voltage of 24V. This makes it possible to connect either a 24V truck battery or two 12V batteries in series. It is important to ensure that the negative terminal of one battery is connected to the positive terminal of the second battery so that the required voltage can be tapped and used from the remaining terminals. This simply turns two 12V truck batteries into one 24V truck battery.

The parallel connection makes it possible to double the required capacity (Ah). This means that instead of using a truck battery with 220Ah, there is the option of using two batteries with 110Ah each. In this case, make sure that all positive terminals are connected first and then all negative terminals in order to maintain a voltage of 12V and to increase the capacity to the desired 220Ah.

Caution: For both the In both series and parallel connection, the two batteries used must have the same characteristics, such as capacity, age, design and state of charge, in order to achieve optimum results in terms of performance and service life. If the properties are different, this will result in uneven loads during charging and discharging, as well as voltage distributions due to different resistances inside the batteries.

Sulphation and service life of a truck battery

As with car batteries, the service life of a truck battery depends entirely on its care and maintenance! This means that if consumers are still connected when the vehicle is not in use or if the vehicle is left standing for long periods, the battery will become deeply discharged, which can result in sulphation. This means that the sulphuric acid in the battery settles to the bottom and the water collects on top. This impairment in the electrolyte mixture means that the charging and discharging function of the battery is significantly restricted and the capacity of the battery drops rapidly. The result of this is known as sulphation. Sulphate crystals form as a result of the acid damage, which settle on the plates installed in the battery and clog their pores. As a result, lead sulphate can no longer be reconverted and the charge absorption and cold start performance drop significantly!

Ultimately, this means that batteries must be fully charged and should also be recharged regularly (every few months) if a longer period of inactivity is imminent. However, if a truck battery is regularly well looked after and maintained, it can be assumed that it will generally have a service life of around four to five years.

Charging truck batteries correctly

Truck batteries discharge much more frequently than normal car batteries, especially in logistics. Frequent short journeys are usually not enough to charge the vehicle battery via the alternator. The result is a steadily decreasing capacity.

It is therefore advisable to charge a truck battery regularly (about twice a year) using a suitable charger to avoid possible failures. Deep discharges can often occur, especially during longer downtimes and long-distance driving, which are known to drastically reduce the service life of a battery (see "sulphation" above). Regular charging and the use of a suitable truck charger is therefore the key to maintaining the reliability, performance and service life of the battery. Suitable and modern chargers, such as the chargers from CTEKoffer a gradual charging process and allow trickle charging to prevent and compensate for self-discharge while protecting the battery.

Wide range of truck batteries

In Voltimax.de's well-stocked online store, you will find all truck batteries from the three major, internationally recognized top manufacturers Banner, Varta and Exide with their well-known house brands such as Buffalo Bull, Heavy Professional/Expert and Promotive Blue/Silver. Innovative technologies and continuous product optimization guarantee maximum reliability from all our manufacturers, even in demanding load situations. You can therefore rely on the quality we offer. Regardless of the application, whether extreme or tough, or both, you will find the best commercial vehicle battery at Voltimax.de, and at a low price.