How long does a car battery last and how long does it take to charge?

The battery is one of the most common causes of breakdowns among Spanish vehicles and also one of the most common reasons for having to call the roadside assistance service, accounting for 45% of the outages of insurance companies. The main reason for battery failure is usually wear and tear. 

A conventional battery, installed in a car, lasts on average between 5 and 3 years . To determine its useful life , it will be necessary to take into account certain technical specifications as well as the manufacturer, they explain from the RACE. Each one has a different capacity, beyond the quality it offers, so it is an important factor when determining how many kilometers it will last.

There are also a series of external factors that will also reduce or lengthen the useful life of the alternator and its load. Among others, the type of driving and route (short trips are the most affected) to which the car is used, the use that is given to the vehicle, the climate and the maintenance that has been given to the battery.

How much does it cost to recharge it?

When a battery is discharged in a combustion vehicle, there are two possible ways to recharge it: one is to have a battery charger and the other is to start the car with tweezers, connecting it to the alternator of another vehicle, and immediately go driving .

How long do you have to be driving for the battery to charge? The best thing is to do it by motorway or highway (it is not going to be that at a traffic light we can no longer start) for at least two hours, point out the RACE experts. In the case of using a charger, it is advisable to leave it connected to the terminals for 24 hours so that the battery’s own cycles take it to its maximum charge. 

From the RACE they warn that, in the case of charging the battery and that it is discharged immediately or too quickly, the alternator will have to be checked since it could be the reason for the failure.