Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/140569
in focus: batteries Odyssey batteries feature EnerSys' Thin Plate Pure Lead technology designed to allow a faster recharge. The need for more Can AGM batteries cut fleet costs? N by jack roberts applications are introduced, it becomes critical to select the right battery for a specific application. While both flooded and AGM batteries are used in trucking, the latter is becoming an accepted technology to meet the vehicle's demands. Brad Bisaillon, Trojan Battery's sales manager for strategic accounts and transportation, says flooded batteries are suitable for vehicles with minimal technology or in applications where batteries are not exhausted by long-term use of advanced electrical operations, while AGM batteries are best for over-the-road applications that typically put more demands on the vehicle's electrical systems. "Deep-cycle AGM technology is designed to withstand the rigorous demands put on these batteries that flooded technology can't handle," Bisaillon says. "Trucking fleets are quickly realizing that a well-designed AGM battery can provide a broad array of advantages such as longer life, more run time and less maintenance." Maria Orlando-Krick, marketing manager of specialty markets for EnerSys, says fleets experiencing problems with conventional flooded batteries should ew rules and regulations in the trucking industry are placing heavier demands on electrical systems, and in some cases, conventional battery designs are unable to meet the increased hotel loads placed on trucks – particularly on long-haul sleepers with auxiliary power units and other anti-idling equipment. Some battery makers believe absorbed glass mat technologies may be a solution. AGM batteries technically aren't new: They were developed in the early 1970s, but over the past several years they have made inroads in heavy-duty vehicle applications due to their deep discharge rates, ability to withstand extreme temperatures and lower maintenance demands. "Battery selection today really comes down to the demands of the specific application the vehicle operates in," says Dr. Joe Liedhegner, manager of customer support for Johnson Controls. "In automotive applications, the battery's main job is to crank the engine. Once that's done, the vehicle's electrical system takes over." Liedhegner says those standards still apply to daycabs that don't require deep discharge. But with long-haul trucks, "we're seeing a growing need for a heavy-duty battery that now has much deeper discharge cycles because they do so much more than just start the engine," he says. "You're really exercising the full range of the battery and its capabilities, and fleets are starting to Johnson Controls says its Eveready Gold AGM 31 understand they need a battery designed to handle those applications." batteries are designed to address today's heavyAs onboard technologies change and electrical advances in heavy-duty duty vehicle needs. 32 commercial carrier journal | july 2013 0713_Equip_InFocus.indd 32 6/19/13 1:58 PM