Hi-Volt urges truck and bus operators to fit correct correct batteries
Truck and bus operators have been warned that it is essential to fit the correct batteries to their vehicles, as Met Eireann forecasts wintery weather is on the horizon.
Battery specialist Hi-Volt, says the demands on truck batteries continues to grow year after year and outstrips the demands placed on car batteries that have to handle stop start technology.
This is particularly true with trucks that are away overnight and especially long-haul trucks that operate on the Continent. These trucks have been fitted with inverters that power domestic appliances for driver use.
This can include a TV, fridge, heater, air-con, interior lights, lap-top, smart phone charging. When the truck is not on the road, for tachograph breaks and over-night stops on European runs, the battery is being drained of power.
The morning after, when the truck is started and underway, the alternator is under pressure to re-charge, but will do so fully provided it isn’t doing much stopping and starting.
Regardless, the constant drain on a battery takes some toll.
This is a key point, because long-haul truck operators have been reporting more instances of battery problems and being let down, particularly on the Continent.
Basically, the industry advice is that standard starting batteries are not designed to discharge and/or charge on a frequent basis (as long-haul Euro trucks experience), or indeed to be left in a partially discharged state.
Traction batteries, such as those fitted to electric forklifts are designed for frequent charge and discharge cycles.
Enter super heavy duty or SHD batteries, as a kind of hybrid that marries the strengths of starter and traction type batteries.
The starter battery has thin plates that give high starting current, while the traction battery plates are very thick , which delivers much less starting current but are much stronger for discharge and/or charging cycles.
So with a SHD battery, you do not get just as good starting current (but very close) to a starter battery, but you get higher capability to handle the discharge / charge cycle.
Therefore long distance trucks will find SHD batteries more reliable over longer periods than standard starter batteries.
Amongst others, Hi-Volt stocks super heavy duty batteries.
Hi-Volt’s range from Global Korea includes 629-SHD and 625-SHD sealed units.