2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat - American Muscle Car

The modern car is changing and the aim of this article is to, hopefully,  inform you of some of the new changes which are being introduced into the cars we buy and drive.

Every day, every week, every year new regulations mean that cars are controlled in different ways. The main purpose of these controls is to make them more fuel-efficient and less air polluting.

The internal combustion engine (ICE) is dirty and inefficient. "Even when aided with turbochargers and stock efficiency aids, most engines retain an average efficiency of about 18%-20%" so says Wikipedia. And, in spite of considerable improvements, the Internal Combustion Engine is still a major emitter of CO2 and other 'volatile organic compounds'. Unless your car is electrically powered it will have an internal combustion engine, either petrol or diesel-powered.

So why is your car battery more important than ever? We will come to that shortly. First a quick recap on my earlier articles dealing with common rail high-pressure diesel and fuel particulate filters. Common rail diesel basically resulting in lower emissions and better fuel efficiency thanks to a more complete atomization of the fuel. Petrol engines are following the diesel lead and becoming high-pressure systems. The introduction of diesel particulate filters on all diesel cars should result in less particulate matter floating around in the atmosphere.

On now to the importance of the car battery. 'Stop-start engines and energy regenerating brakes all rely heavily on the battery' And Stop-start Technology will be a part of most of the cars  (70%)  manufactured in Europe by 2015.  The Stop-start mechanism reduces fuel consumption by turning off the engine whenever the vehicle comes to a standstill whether at red lights or in a traffic jam and it will significantly improve fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

So what of the humble car battery?  - boring or what!  So annoying whenever just one cell 'dies'  and the whole battery has to be replaced; often at considerable expense.  Prices of batteries varying depending upon the price of lead! - the major component in their manufacture.

Changes are in the air. A revolution in battery manufacture is underway. There is no turning back. Because of new legislation (European directives on emissions),  environmental concerns (health and air quality, etc) and innovations from Vehicle manufacturers batteries have got to be so much more powerful.  The old style of the battery was beginning to buckle under the strain of powering so many onboard extras in today's cars. Most of the technology experts point to the 'Absorbed Glass Mat' technology as the key to greater power.  'AGM batteries have been around for some time in the motorcycle world.  Now they look set to make a big impact in the automotive sector'  says an industry expert.  We hope there will be other technology innovations. Watch out for lithium technology.

And what about the cost?  Yes, you've guessed it they're not going to be cheap. AGM batteries are going to cost more because their manufacture is more involved and they last longer. And unlike today's traditional battery you will need to replace like-for-like. Your car will have a battery management system that will recognize if an incorrect battery has been fitted! They will just shut down the car!