Car Batteries

Most cars use a basic wet-type lead acid battery, with a cold cranking amp rating that usually ranges between 260CCA and 660CCA. These batteries are used to power your radio and accessories and to start your engine - and are then charged up by the engines alternator. There are more specialised options available depending on the intended use but in all cases, draining a lead acid battery completely flat, and leaving it flat can damage it over time. Make sure that you keep your battery charged up with a decent battery charger if you don't intend to use it regularly.

4WD Batteries

4WD's and other larger vehicles usually require the use of more heavy-duty batteries to start and 4WD's with diesel engines require far more power to crank over than petrol cars do. The lead acid batteries for use in 4WD's will normally start at about 500CCA and many 4WD vehicles will make use of a secondary battery, either to add more cranking power or to operate things like your light bar, winches, fridges and other 4WD accessories. It is important you charge up your battery, whether it is for starting or for running accessories since allowing a battery to remain flat for a long period of time can cause damage to it.

Truck Batteries

Trucks usually require quite a bit more power to start than cars do. They will usually be equipped with larger batteries with cold cranking power of anywhere from 660CCA, up to and beyond 1000CCA.Trucks may also use multiple batteries in parallel, to increase the amount of cranking power the batteries have available to turn the engine over. As with all vehicle batteries, properly charging the battery is the single best way to ensure that your heavy duty truck battery will last for the entire duration of its proper lifespan.

Camping & Caravan Batteries

Automotive deep cycle batteries are designed specifically to be discharged and recharged over a far longer lifespan than starting batteries, and will reliably provide energy for extended periods of time without sustaining damage - this makes them perfectly suited for camping adventures, or for running caravan accessories. Camping & caravan batteries are built tough, and come in a variety of amp hours with larger batteries providing longer periods of continuous use. Even though they are designed to be charged and discharged a lot, you should charge your deep cycle battery periodically if you intend to store it long-term. This will prevent it from self-discharging and remaining flat and will ensure a long lifespan.

Scooter Batteries

Scooter batteries are often rated around 50-100CCA at most, and because they only really start the scooter and power the lights when the engine isn’t running, they don’t really need to be much bigger. Instead, scooter batteries are designed to be as light and compact as possible. They are often required to resist a lot more vibration and movement than car batteries as well, so AGM or gel type batteries are more commonly used. Scooter batteries can be damaged over time if they aren’t charged up regularly. This is usually done by the stator as you ride, but if you don’t intend to use your scooter for a while - then be sure to keep the battery topped up with a decent charger.

Motorbike Batteries

Motorcycle batteries need to be light and small, yet powerful and reliable for their size. Bike batteries usually range from around 50CCA up to 330CCA - and since most bikes don’t really have many accessories, there’s not much call for more than straight cranking power.Instead, bike batteries are designed to be as compact as possible. They are often required to resist a lot more vibration and movement than car batteries as well, so AGM or gel type batteries are more commonly used. Despite the rough life a lot of bike batteries have though, the single biggest cause of failure is improper charging. In order to avoid any damage from long-term discharge, be sure to charge your bike battery when not in use - especially over those rainy months where regular riding is out of the question.

Jet Ski

Most jet skis and other smaller recreational vehicles use motorcycle batteries. This is because the majority of bike batteries are of a suitably compact size and sturdy construction. The durable design of gel type batteries or AGM batteries are well suited to withstand the intense forces that the battery will be subjected to in a jet ski. Jet ski batteries need to crank the motor, but usually don’t power much else other than a bilge pump. Even so, they can go flat, and if they do completely discharge when not in use then it is important that you periodically recharge them to ensure that they remain free from long-term damage.

Boat Battery

Boat batteries are usually referred to as marine batteries and are built to provide a mixture of starting power, as well as deep cycling ability - since besides getting the engine going, these batteries will often power the pumps, lighting, communications equipment, and appliances that make for a safe and enjoyable experience on the water. Marine batteries are often built to withstand more vibration and movement than automotive batteries, and are usually fully-sealed, and maintenance-free. They are usually rated in MCA (marine cranking amps) which is like cold cranking amps, but measured at a higher temperature (since you can’t really take your boat out on the ice). As with any battery, they will self-discharge over time when not in use, and so it is always a good idea to top the charge up with a good battery charger.

AGM Battery

AGM batteries are sealed, maintenance-free batteries that are tougher and safer than standard lead-acid batteries. AGM stands for Absorbent Glass Mat, which refers to the fibreglass that surrounds the internal lead plates, and holds the sulphuric acid.AGM batteries have a lower charging time than standard lead acid batteries and usually last a while longer too. As with all batteries though, they do require periodic charging to ensure that they don’t sit discharged for long periods, as that can cause damage to the lead plates inside them.

Calcium Battery

Calcium batteries are lead-acid batteries that have calcium added to the lead of the plates. This increases the plates’ corrosion resistance and also decreases the amount of self-discharge, meaning that calcium batteries can go for longer without needing to be charged. That said, all batteries should be charged if they aren’t being used regularly, and care must be taken to charge calcium batteries with higher voltage since they require more power to charge than standard lead-acid batteries. This will ensure that they last as long as they possibly can - and provide reliable power for their entire lifespan.