If you’re getting a new battery for your car, truck, RV, ATV, or any other vehicle, you may be wondering why most vehicle batteries are either 12 or 6 volts. Most vehicles are designed to run with a 12-volt battery, but it is often possible to get the same voltage with two six-volt batteries. Small differences in the voltage of your battery can make a large difference when it comes to your car’s performance. Here’s what you need to know about battery voltages:
12-volt batteries have six cells
A 12-volt battery has six cells, which produce 12.6 volts of electricity when the battery is fully charged. However, the amount of electricity that’s produced will decrease as the battery is discharged. Your battery is considered to be discharged when each cell holds 1.239 volts or less.
Six-volt batteries have three cells
Six-volt batteries only have three cells. As a result, they typically only produce 6.3 volts of electricity when they are fully charged.
Voltage is not the same as amperage
Even though most car batteries are only 6 or 12 volts, a 12-volt battery can produce as much as 600 amps. Amperage can be thought of as the volume of electricity that’s generated, but the voltage can be thought of as the “pressure” of the electricity.
Wattage is the voltage multiplied by the amperage, which gives you an idea of how powerful the electric current is. So, even though most car batteries are only 12 volts, they are capable of generating a current that’s around 180 times as powerful as what’s needed to power a 40-watt light bulb.
The specific voltage of the current your battery produces varies
Several factors can impact the amount of voltage that your battery produces, including the temperature. If the temperature drops to zero degrees, the amount of voltage that’s produced by a 12-volt battery could be as low as 7 amps. This is why it takes longer to start your car in cold weather. However, AGM Battery products are designed to be less affected by the cold, so browse our range of batteries today.
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How Does Your Car Start?: When you insert the key in your car’s ignition and turn the switch or push the button to ‘ON’ a signal is sent to the car’s battery. Upon receiving this signal, the car battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy. This electrical power is delivered to the starter to crank the engine. The battery also provides power to the car’s lights and other accessories.
Battery Voltage: Voltage refers to the amount of electrical potential your battery holds. The standard automotive battery in today’s vehicles is a 12-volt battery. Each battery has six cells, each with 2.1 volts at full charge. A car battery is considered fully charged at 12.6 volts or higher. When the battery’s voltage drops, even a small amount, it makes a big difference in its performance. The table on the left shows how much energy remains in a battery as the battery voltage reading changes. Though not fully charged, a car battery is considered charged at 12.4 volts or higher. It is considered discharged at 12.39 volts or less. Note: A fully charged specific gravity of 1.265 corrected to 80°F is assumed.
Chemical Reaction: Electrical energy in a battery is generated by a chemical reaction. In the case of a lead-acid battery, a mixture of sulfuric acid and water, known as electrolyte, reacts with active material inside the battery. A battery’s voltage largely depends on the concentration of sulfuric acid. To get a voltage of 12.6 volts or higher, the weight percentage of sulfuric acid should be 35 percent or more. As a battery is discharged, the reaction between sulfuric acid and active material forms a different compound and the concentration of sulfuric acid declines. Over time, this causes the battery’s voltage to drop.
Cranking Power: Vehicle engines require cranking power to start. The power needed depends on many factors such as engine type, engine size and temperature. Typically, as temperatures drop, more power is needed to start the engine. Cold cranking amps (CCA) is a rating that measures a battery’s cranking power. It refers to the number of amps a 12-volt battery can deliver at 0°F for 30 seconds while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts. For example, a 12-volt battery with a 600 CCA rating means that at 0°F, the battery will provide 600 amps for 30 seconds without dropping below 7.2 volts.