Batteries and chargers 28 www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2025 Battery research to supercharge workshops Wherever a business might fit within the independent service and repair sector, understanding the shifting sands of any product or product group is important. As the UK’s largest battery distributor, Ecobat Battery is in a particularly strong position to observe the developments, identify the trends and subsequently advise the sector of the direction of travel, when it comes to the 12V battery market. Understanding the trends helps workshops to know what they are likely to face on a daily basis, which in turn ensures that workshops can correctly address the needs of their customers, as they bring their vehicles in for service or repair. Historically, up to and even following, the vehicle manufacturers’ (VM) widespread adoption of start/ stop technology, traditional SLI (starter, ignition and lights) batteries were the prominent replacement throughout the aftermarket. However, in order to give customers a degree of purchasing choice, many workshops would generally provide differentiation to their offerings through a ‘good, better, best’ option. Although the VM commitment to start/stop systems prompted a change in the technology provided by the battery manufacturers, who moved away from SLI and over to AGM (absorbent glass mat) and then EFB (enhanced flooded battery), this change wasn’t reflected in the replacement market for several years. In 2016, just 2% of Ecobat Battery’s sales were AGM/ EFB, but by 2022 it was nearly one quarter, with a comparable decline in SLI sales. Two years on and the migration to AGM/EFB batteries continued, cemented all the more as start/stop technology is now fitted to almost every vehicle still incorporating a combustion engine. Ecobat Battery sales data confirms the reality of this trend as the present split between SLI and AGM/ EFB is now 64%/36% and, when combined with vehicle application data, the migration rate looks to be accelerating. It is likely that the battery sales will be split 50-50 possibly as early as the end of 2025. What this comparison does not convey, however, is the impact that the shift in technology has had in terms of the life expectancy of these batteries, which are considerably more robust that their SLI cousins. But the efficiency of smart charging systems cannot be overlooked. Rather than simply delivering constant charge solely dependent on the speed of the alternator, these modern systems constantly monitor the condition of the battery through the battery management system, intelligent battery sensor and the electronic control unit, to regulate the alternator. As a combined result, the evidence suggests that generally, they are lasting 3050% longer than a traditional SLI battery, which points to a decline in overall replacement battery volumes. However, the reduction in quantity is somewhat mitigated by the higher average price of AGM/EFB batteries, so revenue is unlikely to drop to the same extent. As well as the useful insight that analysing the data gives those selling batteries, another important aspect of the research is to highlight the importance of fitting a replacement of the correct technology for the application. For workshops, this essential requirement is likely to supersede the good, better, best model, with an appropriate technology – SLI, EFB or AGM – model, which is something reflected in original equipment supplier VARTA’s recent decision to dispense with its Black, Blue and Silver hierarchy, in favour of simply offering SLI, EFB or AGM batteries. It is also important to continue to stress the need for ongoing battery testing for each vehicle that visits the workshop. Not only does this allow the workshop to share the condition of the battery with customers, it builds credibility and is likely to aid customer loyalty, leading to new battery sales. Ecobat Battery also stresses the need to maintain the correct voltage during extensive periods of troubleshooting so technicians can correctly identify the underlying fault. When carrying out prolonged diagnosis, for example, which due to the complex electronic systems present in the modern vehicle is not unusual, the vehicle’s control units and other electrical equipment can discharge the battery to such an extent that the on-board system voltage falls below the permissible voltage limit of the control units. A corresponding entry is then made in the fault memory, and data can be lost. However, using a battery charger with a supply feed function provides an easy and straightforward way to avoid potential misdiagnosis, as well as wasted time and effort. Visit https://www. ecobatbattery.com/ applications/cars-vans/ for details.
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