Low temperatures and unprecedented demands on 12V vehicle battery systems has seen Clarios, the company behind the Varta brand, warn of the risks of failing to check battery health.
With increased demands on the battery, across both electric vehicles (EVs ) and those with combustion engines, door lock-outs, starting difficulties and other problems often occur in winter when temperatures are low. Battery capacities are reduced in low temperatures, especially if the battery has already been damaged by high temperatures in summer.
The 12V battery remains by far the most common cause of a breakdown – and more so for electric vehicles. Germany’s ADAC has reported a greater proportion of EVs requiring assistance with the 12V system, than those of conventional combustion engines. According to ADAC’s 2022 figures, in 43.2 percent of these cases the fault was caused by the failure of the 12V battery, while electric cars accounted for 55.6 percent of defective 12V batteries.
AA Ireland has also previously reported that the majority of breakdown cases are due to battery difficultly. And with the cumulative number of EVs on Ireland’s roads at an all-time high, this is a trend that is most likely set to continue.
“Batteries must be looked after, a battery test-check is an essential part of preparing for all weathers, but only trained specialists can ensure the correct replacement battery for a vehicle. This ensures that essential performance and safety functions continue to operate correctly," Andy Cook from Varta, said.
