Reduce Fleet Maintenance Costs and Battery Failures
It is possible to reverse the trend of declining battery life expectancy and increased vehicle fleet maintenance costs related to batteries and battery failures. To accomplish this, first, we must eliminate or, at a minimum, reduce acid stratification. If you win against acid stratification, you can improve a battery’s active material utilization and prevent premature loss of performance and life. Eliminating acid stratification helps to sustain a battery’s Dynamic Charge Acceptance (DCA). In turn, high DCA allows more energy to be stored, alternators to work more efficiently, and batteries to support electrical loads for more extended periods of “no-alternator” operation. The better a battery’s DCA, the more efficiently the battery's active materials are utilized and the greater the number of full-capacity cycles and stop-start events it can support.
The following steps can be taken to fix the problems facing batteries in modern fleet vehicles and reduce costs associated with battery failures:
- Choose batteries with the capacity and technology best suited for the job.
- Eliminate or reduce acid stratification to save fuel and maintenance-related costs.
- Install proven technology that helps to maintain and recover battery health.
- Charge batteries regularly to increase battery life.
- Avoid prolonged use of “engine-off” electrical loads.