HOW THE AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY CHANGED THE WORLD
There is a story you can read here saying that the electric starter motor was first developed by Cadillac because the original hand-crank starter actually killed a man.
The original handcrank starters were both difficult and dangerous. Many women did not have the strength to turn them, and so could not drive without a man present to start the vehicle. It’s safe to say that the electric starter has transformed society, and the electric starter, of course, would not have been possible with asupply of electricity, which needed to be mobile. In other words, it needed energy storage.
The impact of the automotive battery goes beyond starting your vehicle’s engine.Before the battery was put into use in cars, headlights had to be run on gas. Imagine pulling up to the fuel pump and topping off your headlights.
Without an electric supply, we would also be left without several other features we take for granted:
- Electric sensors
- Onboard diagnostics
- Electric windows and locks
- Car alarms
- Radio
- GPS
- Traction control
The larger impact of the automotive battery
The impact of the battery is larger in scope than the daily driving experience. Similar batteries are used in other applications, such as boats, RV’s, heavy equipment and semi-trucks. Without the latter two, we’d be digging foundations by hand and shipping goods via train or passenger car.
In more recent years, similar batteries have been used in solar arrays and electric vehicles.A small black box that was first developed to make starting vehicles more convenient has gone on to transform industrial society. Today the battery is a commonplace, unassuming little package that powers the world.
Still, the auto battery has not achieved perfection. Like all batteries, it has a life expectancy, and needs proper maintenance to maximize its lifespan.
Battery maintenance
Take care of your battery, and it will take care of you. Basic maintenance to get the most out of your battery includes:
- Keeping the connections free of corrosion. You can buy a wirebrush and the appropriate cleaning chemicals at your local auto parts store.
- Topping off the water for those batteries that are unsealed (always use distilled water for this).
- Keeping the battery in a charged state. Batteries that are left with a charge of 12.4 volts or less will actually expire sooner, due to a chemical process known as “sulfation”. This commonly occurs if you repeatedly drive short distances, because the battery uses some juice to start the vehicle, but the alternator doesn’t run long enough to replenish the charge.
This Motertrend article discusses maintaining proper charge in greater detail.
