Car battery cost depends on a number of different factors including size, cold cranking amps, reserve capacity, warranty, state recycling fees, and installation charges.
Size –The Battery Council International (BCI) organization has created a set of universal standards for batteries, defining standard Group Sizes that encompass physical size, terminal polarity, and terminal placement (top or side).
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) – This is a measure of the battery power. Batteries that will be used in colder climates need up to twice as much power to start in cold weather as they do in warmer weather. At the very least your battery will need to meet the minimum CCA. If you will be using the car in a cold climate look for a battery that has a CCA up to, but not more than, 200 amps higher than the minimum requirement. A battery with a higher CCA will be more expensive.
Reserve Capacity (RC) – Once a car is started the battery, alternator, and fan belt work together to keep all the electrical items in the car, such as the blower, headlights, and windshield wipers, running. The RC reading indicates the number of minutes your battery can keep all of these electrical items running if the alternator and/or fan belt stop working. A battery with a higher RC will be more expensive.
The proper Group Size, CCA, and RC for your battery can be found in the manufacturer manual for your car or through reference charts provided by online and off-line battery retailers.
Warranty – Most batteries come with 2 different warranties, a free-replacement warranty and a pro-rated warranty. If a battery goes bad within the free-replacement time frame, it will be replaced for free. If the battery fails after the free-replacement period, but within the pro-rated period, you will get a pro-rated discount towards the purchase of a new battery. It is best to look for the highest free-replacement period you can find. Generally the longer the warranty, the higher the battery quality, and the higher the cost.
State Recycling Fee – Some states will charge a fee for recycling the new battery. In most cases this fee will be subtracted from the price of your new battery if you turn in your old battery at the time of purchase. This fee usually runs between $5 and $10.
Installation Charge – Some stores charge an installation fee, usually around $10, while other stores will install the battery for free if you buy it from them. Some stores offering low-priced batteries will not provide installation.
Overall a new car battery will run between $47 – $190. The low-priced batteries will tend to have only a 1 to 2 year free-replacement warranty and will be of lower quality than the high-priced ones. It is worth the extra money to get a battery in the $110 – $125 range. It will be of higher quality and have a 3 to 5 year free-replacement warranty.
References:
General Battery Information
Battery Warranty Information
- How Much is a Car Battery?
- How Much are Car Batteries?
- What is the Best Car Battery?
- How Does a Car Battery Work?
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