Have you asked yourself how much does a car battery weigh? If this is the case, then you came to the right place because there will be a lot to cover in this article where we will learn a lot on this topic.
- 12V Car Battery
- Types Of Batteries
- How Heavy Are They?
- Do Brands Matter?
- Diagnosing
- Cost
- Conclusion
- F.A.Q
Car batteries are heavy and sometimes they can even ruin the performance of the car. Especially if you are using this car for the track. A few extra pounds will mean a ton of time lost on the drag strip and possibly ruin your day as a racer.
So, choosing the right type of battery for your car is key. And even for regular cars that are seriously underpowered a lightweight battery could be a night and day difference and will improve the drivability of the car and make it a better car overall.
But things are not that simple after all and some things cannot be easily sorted unless you spend more on a battery than you should normally do. Since some high-performance batteries are lightweight but also a lot more expensive than your regular 12V battery. But more on that later on.
First, we will learn what is a car battery in general and we will cover the different types of car batteries, then we will learn how much does a car battery weigh and the average weigh of a car battery. Then we will learn more about battery sizes, battery maintenance, and more.
What Is A 12 Volt Battery
Now before we dive into more complex topics such as the question of how much does a car battery weigh. Let’s first cover some of the basics when it comes to car batteries. Let’s learn first what is a car battery in general. If you want you can jump to the next chapters, if not, keep up with us for a bit.
So, what is a 12 volt battery? Well, a 12 volt car battery is a special battery that allows your internal combustion engine to start. Without this battery, starting a vehicle would be close to impossible unless you are using a jumper or you jump start your car by pushing it if it’s a manual transmission.
Nevertheless, the 12 volt battery is one of the oldest designs of batteries out there that are still used. This type of battery is also known as a lead-acid battery. The first lead-acid battery was patented back in the 19th century by the French scientist Gaston Plante. And this type of battery has stuck with us until this day.
Inside the battery, there are lead plates that are submerged in sulfuric acid, and through a chemical process, it creates electricity. It is worth noting that this design is not like anything else out there that is used on electric cars.
The average lead-acid battery usually has about 6 cells and each of these cells is delivering about 2 volts of power so in total there are 12 volts.
Using lead means that these batteries are on the heavier side. But how heavy we are going to cover later on when we are going to learn how much does a car battery weigh. The important thing now is to learn the types of car batteries.
Different Types Of Car Batteries
Now as we covered the basics of the car battery and we learned that this battery is a lead-acid design. Let’s now cover the different types of car batteries that are out there. This will be extra useful before we dive into more complex topics since it is worth noting that besides the lead-acid design, there are also other designs of car batteries as well.
And when it comes to how much does a car battery weigh, knowing this stuff is really important for you. Especially if you are a racer who wants to reduce the overall weight of the car by using a lightweight car battery. Now let’s get into it.
1. Flooded Lead Acid Car Battery
The first type of battery that we are going to cover before we discuss how much does a car battery weigh is the flooded lead-acid battery.
This is the type of design that we discussed previously. A 6-cell battery that has 12.6V of output power. These batteries are also known as SLI (starting, lighting, and ignition).
You are going to find this type of battery in most of the road vehicles out there and it is used basically on a ton of different applications. Such as cars, vans, SUVs, and pickups.
This type of battery is also the cheapest and heaviest. But more on that, we are going to cover later when we will learn how much does a car battery weigh.
What is important for you is to know that since it is called a flooded lead acid battery, it implements a design where lead plates are submerged in sulfuric acid and then through a chemical process, the battery is charged up and can go through a lot of recharge cycles.
These batteries usually last about 2 to 5 years. Now before we discuss how much does a car battery weigh, let’s learn the next type of car battery.
2. Enhanced Flooded Battery
The second type is the enhanced flooded type of battery, also known as EFB. And when it comes to how much does a car battery weigh it is worth noting that these batteries are easily the heaviest out of the bunch. So, why is this the case?
Well, this is the case because they are enhanced. This means that they are a high-performance battery version of the flooded battery type. But in which way they are enhanced?
Well, they are implementing a much narrower grid and the cells of the battery have more lead plates. The more lead plates allow the battery to deliver the twice cold cranking amps than your regular flooded battery.
This understandably makes them rather expensive and they could cost more money than your regular car battery. What is also worth noting is that they last a bit longer than the regular batteries because the plates inside are separated with a special divider. This helps in stabilizing the chemical agents. Thus improving the life of the battery quite significantly.
These type of batteries are very popular on vehicles that use a start-stop technology that require a ton of starting cycles. So, if you have a car with a start-stop system, this is the type of battery you are after.
But also weigh a ton more than the regular ones. But how much does a car battery weigh? More on that in a bit.
3. Absorbent Glass Mat Battery
The next type of car battery that we are going to cover before we learn how much does a car battery weigh is the Absorbent Glass Mat Battery or AGM.
This is another car battery that has an advanced design just like the previous type that we covered. But with the AGM batteries, this is moved to a different level.
The core design language of these batteries is completely different since it implements cylindrically shaped cells.
In these cells, there is a special fiberglass absorbent to hold the electrolytes. This is another battery that is perfect for cars that use start-stop technology. Mainly because these batteries last for a really long time and can withstand a ton of cycles.
In terms of weight, they are about the same weight as the standard flooded car battery. But how much does a car battery weigh? Well, that’s what we are going to cover later on in the article after we finish with the last type of car battery.
4. Lithium-ion Car Battery
And the last type of battery that we are going to cover before we start discussing how much does a car battery weigh is the lithium-ion battery.
Believe it or not, there are standard lithium-ion batteries as well that will replace your lead acid battery. And let me tell, you a secret, they are the lightest of the bunch. But how light? More on that later on when we will discuss how much does a car battery weigh.
What is important about these batteries is that they are perfect for people who plan to use this battery on the racetrack.
This means that this battery will allow you to start your car and also keep the weight of the car relatively low in the process. So, if you want to go more than 100 mph on the track, you need something lightweight and effective.
These batteries do not have the cranking amps like your regular lead-acid battery. But they will deliver 650 CCA of power. Which is rather enough to start most of the cars out there. But how much does a car battery weigh? Well, that’s the question we are going to answer in the following chapter in detail.
How Much Does A Car Battery Weigh
Now we came to the important bit and that is how much does a car battery weigh? What is the average weight of a car battery?
The average weight of a car battery is about 40lbs. The lower the cranking amps the lighter the car battery is. A standard 600 CCA battery weigh about 33lbs. But what is CCA?
Well, the CCA refers to the cold-cranking amps. And that is the ability of the battery to deliver power at low temperatures. So, if you are looking for a battery for your vehicle, the CCA should be one of your top priorities since different batteries have a different range of CCA.
The more CCA a battery has the heavier it gets. So, if you have a Dodge RAM 1500 or a different full-size pickup truck, you will need a ton of power to start the engine. The bigger the engine the more CCAs are required and the higher the weight of the battery.
For example, a RAM 1500 needs an 850 CCA battery and this type of battery weighs almost 60lbs. On the other hand, if you are looking for a battery for your regular sedan such as Toyota Corolla, you will need something in the range of 600 to 650 CCA. And these batteries are quite lighter, about 33 lbs. So, you get my point.
The bigger the engine you are having, the heavier the battery is since it needs more cranking power to start the engine. So, you should consult your owner’s manual to see what is the minimum CCA that your engine needs to start in order to find the right battery and not rely on how much does a car battery weigh since weight is something that is not that important here.
What Size Car Battery Do I Need
So, we answered how much does a car battery weigh. Now let’s see what size car battery do I need in order to start my engine the way it should?
The size of the battery that you need really depends on the engine that you are running. If you are running a big V8 engine that is high in cubic inches, then you definitely need something strong. 800 CAA minimum. Because if you use something lower than this, you will struggle with starting your car in the winter.
Car batteries at low temperatures really struggle to deliver the required energy and this is why big trucks, SUVs, buses, and other heavy-duty equipment is using not only one but sometimes a few batteries in order to allow this engine to start and operate as it should.
So, when it comes to what size car battery do I need, you should consult the owner’s manual or check the sticker on the old battery and see how many CCAs it has. If you don’t have this data, finding this information online is really easy.
Just browse for your engine type and battery, you will get a ton of useful information that will help you determine what type of battery you need and how strong it should be in order to be enough for your vehicle. Also, if you are running a start-stop system, you should go for the EFB or an AGM type of battery if you want something more reliable that will last longer.
So, we answered how much does a car battery weigh and how to know what type of battery you need. Now it is time to cover if the brand of the battery matter in the first place.
Does The Brand Of The Battery Matter?
Now as we covered how much does a car battery weigh, let’s now learn more about whether or not the brand name of the battery matter a lot? Well, sort of.
This greatly depends on whether or not you get a premium or a regular battery. Premium batteries are usually produced by Varta, Exide, Optima, and other brands. And don’t get me wrong, they are really quality batteries but they are also a lot more expensive than your regular battery.
So, if you don’t run a car that uses start-stop technology and a really expensive car, you don’t need one of these expensive batteries. Who will care if you install a Motorcraft battery in your F-150? Go for good and reliable brands that offer a good value for your money. And this money that you will save on the battery, you can use on some more fulfilling things or on other maintenance of your vehicle. You get my point.
Also, go for the type of battery that has a good warranty. The longer the warranty period, the better. You might have the most expensive battery out there but if it dies after a year or two you will have to get a new one and spend a ton of money.
This is why you should try to find a good value for the money. These batteries often last the longest along with the OEM ones.
And last but not least, when it comes to getting a battery that will outlast everything, you should definitely go for an OEM one. Don’t know why but these could easily run forever. I remember my friend’s car, he ran this car for 10 years and hasn’t replaced the battery. Which is rather insane.
How To Diagnose A Bad Battery?
Now as we learned how much does a car battery weigh, we think that now it is time to see how we can diagnose a bad car battery. How can we determine that the battery has failed and has issues?
Well, it is a rather simple thing to do. For this, you will only need a multimeter tool. A multimeter is a device that will allow you to measure voltage, resistance, continuity, and other aspects. But for our test, we only need the DC voltage tester. This means that you need to turn on the multimeter to DC volts.
Then you will need is to start the car and let it run. A circle around the block should be good in order so the battery tops off any lost power.
Then turn the multimeter to volts and place the red probe on the positive terminal and the black one on the negative terminal. A good reading should be 12V. Or, 12.6V to be more exact. If you have 10V, it means that one cell is probably dead and you need a new battery. If it’s lower than this, the battery probably has even more dead cells and it needs to be replaced.
Overall, that’s it when it comes to testing a battery. In the video above you can see a detailed guide where you can also learn how to test the battery, and the alternator, and also test for parasitic loss. Now before we conclude our article on how much does a car battery weigh, let’s cover the costs involved in replacing this component.
Cost To Replace A Car Battery
We learned more about how much does a car battery weigh, now let’s learn more about the cost of a car battery. How much can you expect to pay to replace the battery on your car with a new unit?
Well, the cost usually depends on the CCA also known as cold cranking amps as well as the group size. The more, amps the bigger the battery and the more expensive it will be to replace. The prices usually range from $100 up to $150 on the average for most of the vehicles.
If you go for a premium brand you can expect to pay more than this. So, it is up to you which route you go.
Car Battery Weight Facts:
- A car battery is necessary for a car to function, and its weight is essential to consider when replacing it.
- The weight of a car battery can impact the vehicle’s performance, and a battery too heavy or too light for the car will impact its efficiency.
- The weight of a car battery can be found on its label, BCI group number, or by contacting the manufacturer.
- A car battery weighs between 25 to 50 pounds on average, but this value varies based on factors like battery type, voltage, fluid level, and vehicle type.
- Standard car batteries weigh between 30 and 60 pounds, while lightweight batteries can weigh between 10 and 25 pounds.
- Electric car batteries can weigh up to 3000 pounds, while hybrid car batteries weigh between 26 and 120 pounds.
- Heavy-duty car batteries can weigh between 25 and 190 pounds, depending on the vehicle type.
- The weight of a car battery is influenced by the battery’s contents, dimensions, and charge level.
- Heavier batteries are not always more efficient, and lighter-weight batteries are preferred for longevity, cold-cranking amps, and overall power.
- Lightweight batteries may be more expensive and difficult to find than heavier batteries.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to car batteries and how much does a car battery weigh. First, we learned what is a car battery and the types of car batteries.
Then we learned how much does a car battery weigh and how to tell what type of battery you really need. After we learned how to test a bad battery and the cost to replace one.
F.A.Q
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
How Much Is A Car Battery
The average cost for a new battery is between $100 to $150. But this doesn’t mean that there are no cheaper options available out there. If you want to get a good deal, you can check out Walmart and see what they have to offer.
Are All Car Batteries The Same
No, they are not the same. The only thing in common is that they all deliver 12V power. But the size and the cold cranking amps are really different from battery to battery. So, depending on the engine you have, you should look after a battery that will fit your vehicle the best.
How Heavy Is A Car Battery
A car battery usually weighs around 40lbs. But you shouldn’t ask yourself how much does a car battery weigh because weight is not the most important thing for you. The important thing is the battery group size and the CCA also known as cold-cranking amps. They are an indication of the right battery that you need.
How Much Does A Standard Car Battery Weigh
A standard car battery weighs about 40lbs more or less. The biggest batteries can weigh even up to 60lbs. It really depends on how big of a battery you need for your application.
How Much Does A Tesla Battery Weigh
A Tesla battery for the Model S P100 weighs about 1,200lbs. The, smaller Model 3 has a battery that weighs 1054lbs. Overall, all the batteries on the Tesla are above 1,000lbs.
