consider an absorbed glass mat/valveregulated lead acid (AGM-VRLA) battery,
which is sealed and eliminates the need
to refill the electrolyte while avoiding
corrosion of the positive terminal and its
surrounding area.
Such batteries also perform well with
parasitic loads, Orlando-Krick says. "Usually, if a battery is overdischarged or the
vehicle is not in operation for a long time,
the battery will get deeply discharged by
the small current drains from parasitic
loads," she says. Odyssey batteries feature
EnerSys' Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL)
technology designed for a faster recharge,
which helps the batteries tolerate frequent
discharges.
"We definitely see AGM batteries
alleviate many of these issues, but you
do have to take into account how severe
your application is," Liedhegner says. "As
vehicles continue to electrify, fleet managers need to be careful in monitoring key
offloads and educating drivers about
battery life."
Common items inside a cab draw
more power than one might think: Some
GPS systems and LED TVs have heavy
drains if they're left on overnight. "If
managed correctly, we typically see up to
twice the life from an AGM battery than
a flooded battery depending on the application," Liedhegner says.
However, the extra power and durability provided by AGM batteries comes
with higher upfront costs than those of
conventional flooded batteries.
"While the upfront cost may be slightly
higher, high-quality batteries will pay for
themselves in the long run with fewer
premature battery failures," Bisaillon says.
"Investing in quality AGM batteries and
properly maintaining them equates to
more time on the road and less time in
the shop."
The Trojan Battery TransPower
ST1000 is a
sealed maintenance-free AGM
31 heavy-duty
starting battery
with 1,000 cold
cranking amps
of power.
Interstate Batteries' MT7 AGM battery
is designed to accommodate the cycling
demands for drivers who plug in additional devices such as cellphones, backup
sensors and GPS navigators.
Text INFO to 205-289-3554 or visit www.ccjdigital.com/info
commercial carrier journal | july 2013
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