US-based lead-acid giant Exide Technologies has unveiled a new VRLA battery based on gel technology to target the high-energy use market.
The company said its Endurance+Pro Gel battery will help truck fleet operators boost vehicles’ performance by “pushing cycling endurance to new levels”.
“Made for extreme cycling, gel battery technology— which was originally invented by Exide brand Sonnenschein— provides impressive energy throughput over the battery lifetime,” the company said.
According to Exide Technologies, the new maintenance-free battery “delivers far more cycling endurance than a super heavy duty flooded battery and absorbent glass mat alternatives”.
In his take on the launch, the technical editor of Batteries & Energy Storage Technology Magazine (BEST), Dr Mike McDonagh, said: “A gel battery designed for deep discharge, especially the Sonnenschein type, can easily provide the currents needed to start a car (150-250 amps for less than a second) and has the added advantage of providing prolonged outbursts of energy for powering other ancillary equipment.”
McDonagh said: “Commercial vehicles often have other energy requirements, such as keeping a cabin heated or providing lighting and power for recharging mobile phones or providing heat when the vehicle is parked— which requires a deep discharge battery.”
Earlier this year, Exide Technologies tightened its grip on the motive power market by acquiring fast-charge tech pioneer Aker Wade Power Technologies, which designs and manufactures advanced charging systems for industrial forklifts.
