COVID-19 Means We're Driving Less, And That's Hurting Our Car Batteries

Relying on CTEK’s MXS 5.0 smart charger keeps car batteries healthy

CHICAGO, Illinois - The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live. Millions are working from home, and when we go out, it’s for short trips to buy essentials like groceries. In an era of handwashing, masks, and social distancing, it’s easy to overlook seemingly unrelated tasks, like maintaining your car battery.

However, our stay-at-home lifestyles are putting extra stress on car batteries, said Bobbie DuMelle, Executive Vice President for CTEK North America, a leading global brand specializing in the care and maintenance of vehicle batteries.

Dead Batteries Are The Most Common Cause of Car Trouble

Before COVID-19, dead batteries were the most common cause of automotive trouble, and the problem has only increased as a result of pandemic behavior. 

Research by Car and Driver shows traffic in major American cities has dropped by as much as 40%. With work-from-home policies eliminating the daily commute, cars are left parked in garages or only used for short jaunts. 

Today’s vehicles are electronically sophisticated. Everything from door locks to adjustable seats depends upon electronics, putting increased demand on batteries. Short trips don’t give your car’s alternator enough time to fully recharge the battery, and when coupled with long periods of vehicle inactivity, sulfation occurs, leading to the dreaded click, click, click of a dead battery. 

CTEK's MXS 5.0 Is The Easy Way To Charge Your Car Battery

While video conferencing and temperature checks may be our new normal, dead batteries don’t have to be. Car batteries, much like cell phone batteries, are rechargeable. CTEK offers high-quality, reliable car battery chargers, including the popular MXS 5.0, which can be used with all types of 12V lead-acid batteries. (WET, EFB, MF, CA/CA, AGM, and GEL)

The MXS 5.0 is a smart 4.3 amp charger designed with safety in mind. Simply attach it to your car battery and then plug it into an outlet.  The spark-free MXS 5.0 will even let you know if the cables are connected to the wrong terminals.

Once connected, the MXS 5.0 will perform CTEK’s unique eight-step approach to battery care, which includes breaking up sulfation and charging the battery. “Connect and forget” simplicity means you can leave your battery hooked to the charger and its float/pulse maintenance stage will provide optimal battery care during periods of activity without damaging the battery.

“New car sales have fallen as a result of COVID. With more drivers opting to keep their older vehicles, battery maintenance is increasingly critical,” said DuMelle. “Charging your vehicle’s battery can prolong its life, saving you the expense and hassle of replacing a dead battery.”

Battery Sense Lets Your Smartphone Know The Status Of Your Batteries

While CTEK’s MXS 5.0 makes charging your battery easy, CTEK’s Battery Sense puts battery knowledge directly in your pocket making it possible to see the state of charge of your batteries in real-time. 

By connecting Battery Sense to your battery and then downloading the app, your batteries are able to “talk” to your smartphone. Just walk to your car or vehicle and Battery Sense will communicate with you via Bluetooth – you don’t even have to start the engine.

Battery Sense will show you all your batteries' state of charge. The app warns you when you have to charge, well in advance.

For more information about CTEK or to purchase chargers or accessories, visit www.smartercharger.com.

ABOUT CTEK, INC.

• CTEK is a leading global brand in the care and maintenance of vehicle batteries. CTEK's unparalleled knowledge and continuous investment in innovation means they push the boundaries of research and development to bring new and unique battery charging technologies to the global market.
• CTEK offers the market high-quality, reliable chargers and accessories that are effective, easy to use (plug and play), and, most importantly, safe (for the user, the vehicle electronics, the battery, and the charger).
• With products and solutions for 6, 12 & 24 volt lead-acid & lithium (12 V LiFePO4) as well as Electrical Vehicle batteries, CTEK products are designed and tested to deliver maximum performance for all battery charging needs.
• CTEK sells over one million battery chargers each year across the globe and regularly tops the chart in independent battery charger tests.
• CTEK supplies chargers to the world’s most recognized manufacturers including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Camaro, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Maserati, McLaren, Mercedes, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce.

Contact:

Bobbie DuMelle, Executive Vice President
CTEK North America
(312) 967-1430
bobbie.dumelle@ctek.com
www.smartercharger.com