4 reasons for installing DEFA onboard battery charger

Man calling for help, engine issues on winter road

Save time, save money, save the environment, by ensuring that your battery is charged. This is not only for fossil fuel cars but also electrical vehicles*, with a 12V battery that can discharge as well.

1. A prompt start in all weather conditions.

Getting to your vehicle on a cold morning and discovering that it won’t start – or that certain features aren’t working – because of a flat battery, is always upsetting albeit not unusual. When it comes to both fossil cars and EVs; at -18°C, even a new battery can only perform at 40% of its original capacity. Cold weather also increases the resistance in the battery, reducing how efficiently the vehicle’s alternator can recharge it. Without the use of an Onboard Smart charger, the battery normally charges to only 60-80% of its capacity during winter.

Frequent use of comfort features such as heated seats, window defrosting, power tailgates, etc. are other factors that drain a lot of power from the battery. Along with the power needed for the increased number of electronic systems in modern vehicles, this leads to reduced battery life.

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Unlike what many car owners believe, a typical driving pattern is not enough to keep the battery sufficiently charged over time, especially in winter. At -10°C, at least for fossil fuel cars, you must drive an average of 7 kilometers before the battery even starts charging. Significant charging requires driving much longer distances.

By using DEFA 1203X onboard smart charger, you ensure that your battery has enough power to start your engine.

2. It’s a good investment.

Having a flat battery usually means having to call for roadside assistance, and roadside assistance isn’t cheap. Waiting around in the cold when you should have been dropping of kids or in an important meeting is no fun either. Flat batteries are by far the most frequent reason people require assistance.

When the charging level of the battery falls below a critical level, this often leads to warning lights for the ABS, EPS, and other electrical systems to turn on. Even though nothing is wrong with these systems, you usually have to go by a repair shop and pay them a pretty penny to turn off the warning lights.

Fortunately, you can easily avoid these problems. By keeping your battery charged, you won’t have to pay for someone to come help get your car started. You’ll also significantly prolong the life expectancy of your battery, thereby saving you from having to buy a replacement too soon. An electronically controlled and temperature compensated charging cycle eliminates the possibility of overcharging and harming the battery. An onboard battery charger is also an excellent way to maintain batteries in vehicles that are unused or in storage for long periods.

3. It protects your settings.

If your battery becomes completely drained, it can no longer supply any power to the car’s electrical system. That usually causes it to reset, wiping out all your settings and preferences. So after you’ve gotten your vehicle started and driven around for a while, you’ll still have to spend some time setting up things the way you want them. By having a charger in your car, you’ll never have to worry about that ever again.

4. It reduces fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

When your fossil car battery is not adequately charged, the alternator must supply the power to run the car’s electrical systems and to recharge the battery. Running the alternator like this requires the engine to work harder, using about 5-10 additional horsepower. This leads to the fuel being burned less efficiently and to increased fuel consumption. In turn, this leads to increased emissions of NOx and carbon dioxide.

By using an onboard charger, you avoid these issues. The benefits will be most apparent in winter. As discussed, the cold reduces the capacity of the battery, makes us use the heating systems more frequently, and makes the engine more difficult to start and run. Having a fully charged battery before you start driving is a good way to save some money and to improve the environment, both locally and globally.

The positive effects of a battery charger are further improved when combined with an engine heater, an interior heater, and a control system in a complete preheating and charging kit for fossil cars. A full WarmUp system reduces fuel consumption by up to 24% and emissions by up to 71% for the first 20 minutes of driving on cold days. Read more about DEFA WarmUp.