Car battery chargers charge lead acid batteries and lithium batteries used in cars. They can be used to recharge batteries that are running low or to maintain unused ones at certain period of time of year like winter. A basic car battery charger includes a transformer and a rectifier. During a normal charging process, they are responsible for the conversion of 110V or 220V AC power to 12V or higher DC power. They provide charging current according to the power set by the battery. When used for maintenance charging, they are designed to provide a low charging current for a long period of time. There are key differences between different types of car battery chargers as they are targeted for different applications.
China has a huge market for car battery chargers. In China, different types of car battery chargers for different vehicles are available. In the transnational purchase of car battery chargers, the selection of products according to the needs and sales market can ensure good sales expectations in the future. In this article, we will focus on the common types of car battery chargers in the market and several characteristics that a purchaser needs to pay attention to.
1. Basic Car Battery Chargers
The main function of a basic car battery charger is to provide constant direct current or pulse current to the battery. They use a constant voltage and current to charge the battery, with no ability to vary depending on the charging time or the capacity of the battery. In order to avoid the impact of large current on the battery, high-quality products usually choose a lower charging power. As a result, the charging process can take a long time. Because there is no timing or monitoring function, even if the charging voltage is very low, too long time charging can still lead to the overcharging of the battery. Simple AC-powered car battery chargers are cheaper to design and manufacture and typically have higher ripple current and ripple voltage.
2. Smart Car Battery Chargers
A smart car battery charger is defined as a charger that can intelligently change the charging action in response to the real-time battery condition. They have circuits that monitor the battery voltage, temperature and charging time at any time. So, they can always choose the best charging current. Both their output current and voltage depend on the state of the battery. When working, a typical smart car battery charger can quickly charge the battery to about 80% in a very short period of time. The charger then switches to trickle charging mode. It will remain a weak charging current and slowly charge the battery until it is fully charged. Such slow charging process can take hours.
3. Pulse Repair Car Battery Chargers
Some car battery chargers adopt pulse technology. These send current pulse or voltage pulse to the battery after the AC current passes through the circuit. Pulse charging technology is said to be suitable for lead acid batteries of any capacity, voltage or chemical nature, including VRLA. When pulse charging is used, the charger will firstly send pulse to check the battery status when the battery is connected. In a subsequent quick-charge phase, the charger uses a constant current to charge, and then uses pulse charging as a trickle charging mode to maintain the battery after it reaches a certain level. The advantage of pulse charging is that the charger can apply a transient high voltage to the battery without causing it to overheat. Another advantage of pulse charging for lead acid batteries is their ability to crush the lead sulfate crystals in the battery. Therefore, they are widely used in the repairing of lead acid batteries. They are used to rejuvenate the batteries and extend their service life.
How to Measure Car Battery Chargers?
1. Electrical Parameters
Electrical parameters here mainly refer to the setting of current and voltage of the charger. The rated ampere of a charger is the amount of current the charger can handle, which is the strength of the AC current output processed by the charger. For a lead acid battery with a set capacity, the number of amperes in the charger determines how fast the battery can be fully recharged. The higher the ampere is, the faster the charger can be fully recharged. When choosing a car battery charger, there should be a balance between speed and battery health. For some batteries, a car battery charger with a lower charging current is sometimes a better choice. Smart car battery chargers are a better choices. They can automatically detect which current intensity and charging mode is best for the battery. By doing this, the battery can be charged at the correct rate.
In addition to current, voltage is another important parameter of a car battery charger. Whereas current refers to the amount of current processes, voltage reflects the strength of power a charger can provide. This strength of power determines whether a particular charger can safely charge a particular battery. When choosing a charger, a correct choice can be made according to the charging voltage marked on the battery. Most cars use 12V car battery chargers and a few use 24V or higher types.
2. Manual or Automatic
Manual and automatic here refers to whether a car battery charger can automatically shuts off after the charging process is completed. When using a car battery charger that needs to be manually turned off, to prevent the battery from being overcharged, the user must monitor the charging process and remove or turn off the charger when the battery is fully charged. Automatic power off is often a basic function in smart car battery chargers. They can realize the automatic switching of charging action. A smart car battery charger can manage the charging process in real time and automatically shut down or switch to maintenance mode after finishes the charging.
3. Safety Features
Multiple safety features are now available in many car battery chargers. These safety features include more than just preventing the battery from being overcharged and the degradation of performance. A car battery charger with temperature control function can automatically adjust charging voltage and current to avoid battery overheating. Reverse polarity and spark-proof protection can also ensure the safe charging of the battery. Overheating protection can protect the charger’s internal components from being harmed by high temperatures. Through the safety measures provided with a car battery charger, users can be protected from a series of security threats.
4. Waterproof and Dustproof
Car battery chargers are often used in garages, car repair shops, and even outdoors. These places are often covered with dust, oil and water. Therefore, a car battery charger must have a certain level of protection measures to maintain its long-term stability. Among them, the most important will be whether they are waterproof or dustproof. In addition, the product should also have a certain IP rating. Also, a product with a spark-proof shell can improve its usability and durability.
5. Extra Features
In addition to the basic functions of a car battery charger, the addition of some extra features can improve the cost performance of the product and improve consumers’ purchase desire to a certain extent. For instance, a LCD display or LED status indicator can make the product more convenient to use.
Different Customers Care about Different Things
In the above, we have introduced the three most common types of car battery chargers and several characteristics to measure a car battery charger. For a business purchase, when considering car battery chargers for a specific market and certain customers, it is important to note that the right products are the best ones. The word right here means that you should respect the truth that different customers care about different things. For car battery chargers, these differences are mainly reflected in the following:
For Car Repair Shops
Car repair shops of various sizes are one of the important commercial users of car battery chargers. They deal with vehicle problems every day, including dealing with lead acid batteries that cannot be normally recharged. They tend to have a higher requirement for waterproof, dustproof and durability of products. In the face of battery failure, car battery chargers with pulse repair function is probably what they need. On the contrary, staff in car repair shops usually have sufficient time to charge batteries. So, additional functions other than the basic ones such as the setting of charging time and automatic shutdown are not so important.
For Personal Use
As another group of the purchasers of car battery chargers, individual users care about different things from car repair shops when buying car battery chargers. For them, the use of car battery chargers is just one thing in their everyday life. Therefore, for them, smart car battery chargers tend to be more popular. Smart car battery chargers have a rich set of functions that allow charging and maintenance of batteries in between daily tasks. In addition, individual users tend to have higher requirements on the appearance of the products and their portability. A more user-friendly and less difficult interface makes it easier for them to use the product.
Price
Price is an aspect that cannot be ignored when making a purchase. Different types of customers tend to have different price sensitivities. Individual users tend to be more price-sensitive than business purchasers, and cost-effective products tend to have a better market feedback. For car repair shops, on the other hand, to buy car battery chargers is just part of their daily purchase plans. So, they tend to be less price-sensitive than the individual users.
Product Customization
When making a transnational purchase, a supplier that can provide product customization services are better choices. Through product customization, purchasers can easily improve the previous products to a certain extent on the basis of understanding the demands and goals of existing products as well as the consumers in the market. This will further increase customer loyalty and their satisfaction. It also helps retailers to better understand their customers. So, they can consistently offer them better products than their competitors in the future.
Why Us?
We employ the latest technology and stringent quality control to ensure product quality, allowing our car battery chargers to exceed in reliability and performance. We offer a complete range of car battery chargers supporting all battery types. If you still cannot find what you need in our products to meet your purchase plan, please contact us and we can provide you with a product customization solution. We focus on providing quality product and considerate service experiences. From inquiry to delivery and what’s in between, we continue to exceed our customers’ expectations with our products and service. We pride ourselves on providing tailor-made solutions to meet our customers’ exact specifications.