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The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation

Ecobat Battery – finding solutions for real world problems

Date: Friday 29 September 2023

After shining a spotlight on the ongoing dependence that vehicle manufacturers (VMs) have made on the 12-volt battery for all their models, whether petrol, diesel, hybrid or fully electric, Ecobat Battery is again highlighting an important message to the independent service and repair sector, this time on the subject of upgrading their replacement.

The issue the UK’s largest battery distributor is raising concerns the quality of the 12-volt battery that the VMs have selected as original equipment (OE), particularly for their electric vehicles (EV), which in many cases is a standard lead acid battery as opposed to an AGM (absorbent glass mat) or enhanced flooded battery (EFB), and its suitability in the role it’s called to perform.

Irrespective of the powertrain, modern vehicles are very power hungry, but in many EVs, including popular models such as the Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe, the 12-volt battery used to serve the vehicle’s electrical systems and critical safety functions, alongside the high voltage battery used for its propulsion, is a good quality, but standard, 012 lead acid battery. However, such are the demands put upon it, that many are failing in just two or three years.

While this obviously presents a replacement opportunity for independents, which is positive, selecting a like for like replacement using the Ecobat Battery Battery Finder, for example, an excellent best practice principle, will in this instance, only indicate a battery of the same OE specification, with the same real world limitations.

However, demonstrating the depth of its battery knowledge, Ecobat Battery provides workshops with a great opportunity to offer their customers a more suitable, longer term solution by upgrading the battery to an Optima Yellowtop battery, an alternative that will not be unfamiliar to many workshops, as the brand is the OE fitment in several American VM brands.

With impressive cycling capabilities and low internal resistance, which provides more consistent power output and faster recharge times, the Optima Yellowtop is particularly suited to work alongside the high voltage battery in many EVs. So, as well as satisfying the electrical demands of these vehicle applications and giving owners a practical long term solution, they also allow workshops to make a higher margin, which ticks the box for both customer satisfaction and their business’ profitability.

For further details, please visit Ecobat Battery at: www.ecobatbattery.com