ECP reports doubling of AGM, EFB battery sales

Euro Car Parts, official prime battery supplier to the RAC, has reported a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in sales of the Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) and Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) types for cars with start-stop systems.

Green technologies such as start-stop and regenerative braking are now standard on 60 per cent of new cars built in Europe, so it is imperative that replacement batteries can cope with the continuous on/off action. “It is no longer a case of any old battery will do,” comments Martin Gray, chief executive officer of Euro Car Parts. “It is about choosing the right battery. If you fit an incorrect battery to a car with start-stop, it might work initially but certain systems will soon start failing, starting with things like the radio, air con and electric windows, and then more vital systems, such as the start-stop function itself.

“AGM and EFB units have a longer service life than standard batteries and are designed to power the electrics when the engine is in sleep mode, even when a large number of systems are operating,” adds Gray. “We have invested in AGM and EFB training for over 2,000 of our staff and we need to get the message out that start-stop is a game changer for replacement batteries.”

Euro Car Parts stocks a number of AGM and EFB brands in the UK, including well-known names such as Bosch, Duracell and Exide, and its own aftermarket brand, Lion. It sells a million automotive batteries a year and covers all popular makes and models, even developing an EFB unit specifically for the 2012 Nissan Qashqai 1.6 diesel (Lion reference 444779331).