Discover Battery’s Free TCO Calculator Shows Benefits of AGM Dry-Cell Batteries
Canadian innovator in battery solutions, Discover Battery has launched a new, free, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator allowing users to understand and determine the operational costs of a battery over its lifetime of use. This is particularly useful as there is a growing trend towards using maintenance-free AGM batteries rather than traditional flooded lead acid batteries, primarily because of the increased safety and reduced maintenance cost savings, Discover said.
The calculator helps owners and purchasers make an informed decision by inputting specific data such as battery specifications, battery costs, labor expenses and battery service frequency to determine the total operational costs over its lifetime. By selecting the best battery for the application, savings of up to 40 percent are possible.
The long-term financial benefit, particularly for rental businesses - which may run hundreds or even thousands of battery-powered items of equipment - is huge. In a very price sensitive and competitive market, being able to compare the battery’s Total Cost of Ownership rather than initial cost is essential for calculating the overall profitability of each item of equipment.
According to Discover Battery, there are substantial cost savings gained by using its Dry Cell AGM battery compared to traditional flooded lead acid batteries.
Alexander Marotz, vice president of business development, Discover Battery, said: “While the initial cost of Dry Cell AGM batteries is higher, their lifetime savings typically range between 20 to 40 percent when compared to lead acid batteries over the total service life. Every customer who has made the switch to AGM batteries will agree that the initial decision to change is difficult, however once they have used the AGM batteries, they love the benefits and do not want to go back to the old, flooded batteries.”
"Many hidden expenses contribute to the total cost of ownership apart from the obvious benefits of not having to regularly top up the water,” said Stefano Giuliani, Discover Battery's technical sales director. “These include fewer equipment repairs caused by corrosion damage from acid spills, off-gassing, and reduced machine down-time due to improper battery maintenance in the field."
Example: A fleet of 200 electric scissor lifts
Using the TCO calculator, it is possible to calculate the real-life cost savings for a fleet. For this example, the following assumptions have been made:
· Fleet of 200 electric scissor lifts
· Using 4 x 6V 190Ah batteries
- Dry Cell AGM around 25 percent higher initial cost than premium flooded batteries
- 3 years battery life expectancy
Data for a typical user is input into the TCO calculator such as the initial purchase price and monthly maintenance schedule per scissor lift. The TCO calculator then gives the relative cost of the Dry Cell AGM battery compared to the flooded lead acid battery.
