CTEK Sweden AB, a leading global brand in battery management solutions, today urges motorists to give love to the humble battery this ‘Charge Your Car Day’. Since the COVID-19 pandemic was first announced, roads around the world have experienced ever-changing traffic conditions, and fluctuating driving habits are bringing car battery health to the fore.
As many people around the world have been home-bound under COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, various cities have experienced surges in flat car battery cases. This is because car batteries become far more likely to fall flat the less frequently the car is driven or charged.
Conversely, for those locations where self-isolation restrictions have been eased, and consumers are more regularly leaving home, many are choosing to travel in their private vehicles, as opposed to public transport, due to personal safety concerns. Those taking regular short road journeys, particularly in urban areas, are at heightened risk of experiencing a flat battery, because these trips can often involve frequent stopping and starting of the engine, putting immense pressure on the vehicle battery and requiring it to work harder.
To help educate motorists on the important role the car battery plays and simple steps for ensuring it won’t let you down, CTEK is today celebrating ‘Charge Your Car Day’, a global celebration every 5 October of the humble, but hardworking car battery. Whether your vehicle is fuel-powered, hybrid or electric, the battery is the beating heart of your car, and as such requires love to keep it working to the best of its ability.
Robert Briggs, CTEK’s Asia Pacific Director of Sales and Marketing, said: “The humble car battery has been working hard for us for the past 100 years. Back in the ‘good old days’, all a car battery had to do was start the car. Today, the battery not only gets a car moving, but also powers all of the technology within your vehicle – from keyless entry, alarms and immobilisers, onboard computers and the air conditioning. And that’s just fuel-‐powered vehicles! When it comes to electric vehicles, the car battery is critical for every facet of the vehicle functioning.
“It’s easy to forget how much hard work your car battery has to do day in, day out, so ‘Charge Your Car Day’ is a terrific opportunity to remind us all that we’ve got to look after it. Making sure your battery is charged and giving it a bit of additional TLC can extend its life, saving motorists time and money” continued Briggs.
Caring for your battery is simple and can be easily integrated into your regular routine. To help us make sure our batteries are always in peak condition so our vehicles are always ready to go, CTEK have developed five key tips for car owners amid current driving trends around the world:
- Money saver: Battery failure is often reported as the number one cause for breakdowns around the world, and with a growing amount of sensitive electronic equipment added to today’s modern cars, this issue is on the rise. Utilising battery chargers can help you save time, battery costs, towing costs, repair costs, and the environment through regular battery maintenance.
- Regular charging: At least once a month while your car is parked in the garage, reach for your battery charger, connect it up and leave it do its work quickly, safely and efficiently. If you have an electric vehicle, it’s recommended you follow the ABC rule – Always Be Charging.
- TLC: Caring for your battery after it’s charged is just as important as charging it in the first place. Today’s modern chargers will almost certainly have built-‐in maintenance and troubleshoot programs – most of them automatic – that will make sure your car battery has a healthy heart.
- Temperature aware: Heat is the number one killer of car batteries. Motorists should be extra cautious in extreme temperatures, being sensitive to any vehicle changes such as the way your car starts, or the operation of the electrical system in general. Any changes can indicate a weak battery or problems in the electrical system.
- Start smart: If you drain your battery, some motorists seek to solve the issue by using jumper leads, push-starting a manual car and going for a drive, or leaving the car idling. However, this won’t fully recharge a car’s battery, and could in fact create long-‐term damage. The most reliable way to restore your battery is to use a charger.
Briggs added: “A battery performs best when it’s in peak condition, and proper charging extends battery life significantly. Regular charging is a simple, quick process for car owners, and by reducing your possibility of breakdowns due to battery failure, you’re saving money. It’s also important to remember that if your battery fails, it could damage or compromise your vehicle’s electronics, potentially creating added cost burdens.
“We hope this Charge Your Car Day helps motorists kick start a healthy car maintenance routine. When your battery is properly charged and running at peak performance, you can be confident that it won’t let you or your vehicle down, and you’ll have great peace of mind.”
CTEK chargers can be attached to a vehicle indefinitely without risk of over or undercharging the battery – extending battery life and maximising battery performance. The CTEK MXS 5.0 comes with five-year warranty and is currently available to purchase from Repco at $148.
For further information on ‘Charge Your Car Day’ and advice for motorists, please visit www.ctek.com/au.
Photographs by CTEK.