July/August 2020

I t will probably come as no surprise that, post-lockdown, many car batteries are failing due to extended downtime. Garages can help their local community by making sure batteries are well-monitored throughout the coming days, weeks and months as they enter the workshop. Christian Rosenkranz, Vice-President of Engineering at VARTA commented: “In these tough times, customer service and retention is key and batteries – as a live product that have been subject to neglect over the past few weeks – should be placed at the heart of the workshop business, and is worthy of focus in order to give customers peace of mind. “With the increased practise of home-working and the new ‘stay-at- home’ routine, and with few or no visits to family or friends, road traffic fell massively throughout the UK and Ireland. For many people, travel came to a complete standstill due to social distancing restrictions. According to automotive market research experts GiPA, traffic at one point had fallen by 75% in some areas of the UK.” Advice To help both drivers and garages manage the downtime effects on the battery, the team at VARTA have released a short video highlighting how car batteries have been impacted in the recent weeks. “The video shows why,” said Christian, “even if the battery successfully starts the car after a prolonged period of disuse, internal damage likely exists and so it pays to have a higher awareness of potential battery and electrical consumer failure in the coming months.” VARTA recommend workshops to carry out proactive battery checks with a good quality tester. Even under regular conditions, research shows that proactive battery testing makes sense; of every 100 batteries proactively checked, 23% need attention and potentially replacement, averting an inconvenient battery failure for the driver. “With the current extraordinary impacts on car batteries,” continued Christian, “the team at VARTA are highlighting that it’s now more important than ever for UK garage technicians and fast fit centres check every battery of vehicles entering the workshop.” He added: “By offering a battery check to all customers, and replacing or giving advice on those batteries close to failure, workshops will have provided peace of mind and a reliable service to their customer base.” For more information on the battery testing and best practice advice for workshops, contact the VARTA team on vb-uk-enquiries@clarios.com or connect with VARTA on facebook at www.facebook.com/VARTAAutomotiv eUK Legislation Drivers Batteries are not just being changed, they are themselves changing, “Demand for delivering more power,” observed Russell Shea, Business Development Manager at Banner Batteries, “has resulted in manufacturers to develop the current generation of starter batteries that continue to lead the field. We are talking about Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) and Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) or Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries. Alarmingly, despite having been in existence for a number of years now, there is still some confusion about AGM and EFB batteries in terms of the role that they play and what needs to happen when they are replaced. Environmental demands are partially driving the change: “Batteries of the EFB and AGM type are proven to perform both on the car and in favour of the environment. EU 34 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2020 BATTERIES AND CHARGERS: POST-LOCKDOWN SPECIAL www.aftermarketonline.net CHARGE IN THE SUN Many cars emerging from lockdown are likely to have flat batteries. Find out more on how to help your customers and make the most of the opportunity Below: Battery being tested

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