Facts About Car Batteries

You put your key in the ignition, turn the ignition switch, and hear the sweet sound of a running motor,  thanks to your car battery. Here is a brief overview of the functions your battery serves:

• Provides power for the ignition and starter system to start the engine
• Supplies additional power when the vehicle’s electrical load exceeds the supply for the charging system
• Acts as a voltage stabilizer in the electrical system, suppressing voltage spikes and preventing damage to other components in the electrical system

Common automotive batteries today are a lead-acid storage design, where stored chemical energy is converted into electrical energy to power the vehicle.

• According to the U.S. EPA, 95.7 percent of automobile batteries were recycled in 2009.
• Car batteries have the highest recycling rate out of all recycled materials.
• About 60 percent of the world’s lead comes from recycled car batteries.
• Lead-acid batteries use over 80 percent of the lead produced in the U.S.
• New lead-acid batteries are composed of 60 percent to 80 percent recycled lead and plastic.

It is much better for the environment to recycle batteries rather than throwing them in a landfill or junkyard, because of their high lead content. Lead-acid batteries are also highly toxic. Sulfuric acid electrolyte, a highly corrosive poison that produces flammable and toxic gases that can explode, is contained deep within these batteries.