A company in Switzerland claims they have produced a battery that can power an electric car for up to 621 miles. This experimental battery has the potential to revolutionize the electric car industry. Tesla’s top-end model has batteries that will only support a 300-mile range.

While these powerful, long-lasting batteries may not be available for a while, you still need a battery to power your vehicles and watercraft.

When making a battery comparison, you’ll quickly realize that there are several batteries. Some defined by their purpose and others by the materials used.

Use this guide to the different batteries to help you make the right choice.

1. Starter Battery

Most traditional cars on the road use this battery. Fuel combustion vehicles need a battery to power their starting, lighting, and ignition.

This means your battery powers the radio, lights, and anything else that requires power in your car. Your engine only powers the running of the vehicle and charges the battery as it discharges.

These batteries have a short charge cycle. This is the time it takes to run the battery’s charge down and then recharge the battery back up to full capacity again.

It also excels at providing strong short bursts of energy at a time. This is why it works so well to help you start your car. The other electrical components in your vehicle don’t have a strong pull on your battery, so they don’t put a strain on the battery.

As your battery’s charge gets depleted, the engine recharges the battery. This is how it continues to run for years.

Over time, its ability to recharge and hold that charge deplete. This is when it’ll begin to fail at starting your car because it won’t have enough power.

2. Deep Cycle Battery

These are the batteries you’ll find in marine vehicles and watercraft, recreation vehicles, and golf carts. They have a long charge cycle, so they take significantly longer to lose their charge.

This makes them perfect for vehicles that you won’t use often. Otherwise, you’d hop in your boat after not using it for a couple of weeks and find the starter battery dead.

These batteries are perfect for machinery that runs continuously for hours at a time. Their ability to sustain a charge allows them to continue operation at a steady pace. They excel at providing a steady trickle amount of power.

3. Lead-Acid Battery

This is the traditional form of batteries. They create the charge by having a chemical reaction take place between an electrolyte solution and the lead plates. You add water to the acid, and the reaction happens.

These batteries require regular maintenance. The result of the reaction is the loss of water. Once all the water is depleted, the battery no longer works.

Flooded or Wet-Cell Battery

The batteries can require a bit of maintenance because of the loss of the electrolyte fluid in them. They use a mixture of lead, water, and sulfuric acid. You’ll find that these batteries are some of the most affordable on the market but also lack the charge cycle convenience that other battery types have.

You’ll find vents on these batteries that you must keep clear. The gasses released during the operation of the battery need to escape. Just be careful, as harmful acid can also escape through the vents.

Valve-Regulated

This is a development of lead-acid batteries that are designed to be low-maintenance. They’re sealed so you don’t need to open them up and add water.

The liquid inside isn’t free, like the wet-cell. There will be gel batteries that use silica to turn the liquid into a gel. AGM batteries use fiberglass mats between the lead plates. These two improvements to the traditional wet-cell battery give them improved power performance and internal strength.

The advantage of these batteries is that you no longer risk spilling battery acid because there’s no way for the acid to get out. The downside is that you can’t service them, and if they go bad, replace them.

You may hear of these batteries referred to as Absorption Glass Mat (AGM) or VLRA, and gel cell. AGM batteries have a stronger power burst rate because they have a fast reaction time. Gel cell batteries work best for use in deep cycle batteries.

4. Lithium-Ion Battery

You’ll find that lithium-ion batteries are compatible with hybrid and electric cars on the road today. They aren’t compatible with the traditional combustion-driven vehicles on the road.

These batteries can hold a significantly greater charge and are noticeably lighter than the other batteries on this list. This makes them ideal for use when the weight to power ratio is critical for optimal performance.

The one downside of these batteries is that they have shorter lifespans than traditional batteries.

A lithium ion battery will work great in an RV, boat, or electric vehicle.

Make Your Battery Comparison

As you can see, no one battery is always better than the others. When making your battery comparison, you need to think about your intended use, budget, and maintenance capabilities.

If you need a battery for your car, then an AGM starter battery is a smart choice. If you’re looking for a battery for your recreational vehicle, then opt for a deep cycle instead.

Electric and hybrid vehicles need a lithium battery to continue their operation. Lithium batteries can also work in your RV or recreation vehicle to give you optimum performance.

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