Car Battery Replacement Cost: The Lowdown
So how much does a new car battery cost in the UK? Let’s check it out.
We’ve restricted our analysis only to batteries that are good enough quality to meet our standards. No point in looking at really poor quality batteries that are going to fail in less than a year, and give you trouble.
Fortunately, there are batteries within each price bracket from low to high that meet this criteria.
So: car batteries come in all shapes and sizes… er, well maybe just all sizes!
If you already know exactly what battery type you need, skip ahead to the replacement battery cost range section.
Which battery do I need?
There are 2 main things you’ll need to know to then see the type of battery you need, and then you can see the range of replacement battery prices for the one you need. And they are:
- Whether the battery is Flooded (normal, for most people), AGM or EFB
- The size of the battery
Flooded, AGM or EFB
All cars (apart from electric cars) use lead-acid batteries. So each of types is a subset category of lead-acid battery.
As we said Flooded is the most common type most cars in the UK have. This type of battery has been around for a long time.
Do you have a start-stop system?
If so, you definitely need an EFB or AGM battery. You cannot get a Flooded battery as a replacement.
If you currently have an EFB battery, you can replace it with another EFB battery, or you can upgrade to an AGM.
If you have an AGM battery in your vehicle now, your new battery must be another AGM battery.
If you need more info to choose between these two types of battery, here’s AGM versus EFB batteries.
If you don’t have stop-start functionality…
Then you’re free to choose from Flooded, EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery) or AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat).
Flooded batteries are the traditional type of car battery, which have lead plates surrounded by free-flowing, liquid electrolyte (made from a mixture of distilled water and sulphuric acid). Power is produced due to the chemical reaction between the lead (Pb) in the plates, and the electrolyte (H2SO4). The more chemical reactions between these molecules, the more power the battery can produce.
Why would you get an EFB battery:
- EFB batteries are the newer technology that fix some weaknesses of Flooded batteries; they’re provide a more powerful start and they last longer.
- They’re more resistant to discharge – that means they’ll cope better if you ever go too long without using the car (and is partly why they last longer).
- A polyester scrim that holds the electrolyte in place allows for better mixing of the electrolyte – so the battery can deliver power more consistently and for longer (another reason for greater reliability and longevity).
- Their design allows for more and thinner lead plates, and less electrolyte – that means more surface area between the lead and the electrolyte. Which means more power – an EFB battery will also deliver more power in cold weather.
- More resistant to sulfation – the No.1 killer of batteries, due to the above-mentioned internal makeup of this battery type.
EFB batteries can last twice as long as traditional Flooded batteries. They tend to cost around 25-50% more than Flooded batteries.
Why would you get an AGM battery:
- More powerful than EFB batteries – that also makes them even more likely to start in cold weather conditions. And they can last as much as 3 times as long as Flooded batteries.
- Because they don’t have any electrolyte in liquid form, rather the electrolyte absorbed into fibreglass mats (AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Mat). This frees up a ton of space and allows even more lead plates. The result is a lot more starting power.
- With all those lead plates, an AGM can also be charged much faster (up to 5 times faster), either by a charger or by your vehicle alternator (which charges while you drive). More charge means more power, and you’re more likely to have higher charge at any given moment with an AGM battery.
- AGM batteries are more resistant to vibration. All batteries experience constant shock when a car moves around and their ability to handle that over time affects how long a battery lasts.
- Even more resistant to sulfation and completely resistant to acid stratification (since the electrolyte is not liquid, it cannot become unmixed).
AGM batteries can last even longer than EFB batteries, even 8-10 years is possible. They tend to cost 25-50% plus more than EFB batteries.
Car Battery Size
Let’s check out the price ranges for the most common battery sizes in the UK.
If you already know which battery size you need, skip ahead.
If you don’t, the best way to find out is to type your car registration number or enter your car make and model into ebay’s car battery finder.
It’s the most reliable and best battery finder we’ve identified in the UK. We also identified it as your best option, alongside some physical locations, for new car batteries on Glasgow, for one example.
Check the batteries that come up. If any batteries with battery size 096 comes up, then you know that size will fit your car.
