Where Would We Be Without the Car Battery? The Answer May Surprise You

Here at DePaula Chevrolet, we always encourage customers to visit us with a list of new vehicle “Must-Haves” when shopping for a new car. There are a lot of important aspects to consider when making a new vehicle purchase. For instance, it is important to know what type of vehicle you want to buy. A sedan, coupe, SUV, crossover? Once that decision has been made, it’s time to move on to more trivial things such as, exterior color, technological features, and amenities. After working with thousands of customers, and reading through endless “must-have” lists, no one has ever told us that the car battery is a deciding factor in their purchase. We tend to think, that they should.

Car Batteries are Important

You may laugh at how ridiculous that sounds, but Car Batteries are one of the most important aspects of a vehicle. You can purchase a brand new SUV, with all of the technology upgrades, plush leather interior, and a panoramic sunroof – but without a working battery, you won’t even make it off the lot.

What is it exactly about car batteries that make them so integral to the motor vehicle? Have car batteries always presented such a major component in the automobile, or is it just more so now with the advancing hybrid and electric technologies? These are all great questions to ask, and they are questions that have good answers. In this blog, we have already touched on how to maintain the battery in your vehicle, how to know when your battery needs to be replaced, and even shared tips on how to make your battery life last longer than ever.

Even Car Batteries Have a Place in History

Today, we move away from all of that, and into the exciting world of car battery history. That’s right – the component of your vehicle that is necessary to take you from point A to point B, has a history, and a rich one at that. So, sit back, relax, and delve into the history of the automotive battery with us today. You might be surprised at what you learn!

Where it All Started

The battery was thought to be invented back in 250 BC, thanks to some cool archaeological finds from modern day Iraq. Jars which contained copper cylinders and corroded iron rods were discovered in 1936, and while they may not have been powering motor vehicles, they seem to be the hint of the first ever working battery. Fast-forward to 1800, when Allessandro Volta developed the modern day battery, a dry-cell version that is much closer to what we now recognize as a battery.

First Electric Car?

After the initial battery technology was invented, numerous scientists went to work trying to perfect the battery. Robert Anderson was one such scientist and inventor, who is credited with inventing the electric car by building a carriage that was propelled by a battery. His work took place between 1832 and 1839.

An Automotive-Battery Breakthrough

Robert Anderson’s invention was a stepping stone for future scientists like Gaston Plante, who invented the first lead-acid battery in 1859, which was also the first rechargeable battery ever made.  This battery is important to the future of the automobile, as it is the staple technology for vehicles in the coming decades, as the majority of car batteries are of the lead-acid variety. These lead-acid batteries are a part of a category known as the SLI, or Starting – Lighting – Ignition. This is important to note, as car batteries don’t simply power a car’s starter, but also the entire vehicle system.

Car Batteries Changed Everything

Gaston Plante may not have been aware when he created the lead-acid battery, but his invention has propelled the automotive industry into the future, and is the reason why vehicles have advanced to where they are today. Check out some of the other components of a vehicle that are powered by car batteries, that we tend to not think about on a regular basis.

Electric Horn

First invented in 1911, the electric horn was a major milestone in the development of the automobile. Prior to the electric horn, drivers had to ring a bell, or utilize a squeeze horn to alert pedestrians and other drivers of their presence. This vehicle feature would not be possible without that black battery nestled snugly in your engine compartment. Who knows, maybe road rage would be a lot less prevalent if drivers needed to repeatedly squeeze a klaxon horn to get their point across. Thanks to Plante, we will never have to know.

Electric Starter

Another major stepping stone for motorists and the automobile. Invented in 1912, the electric starter allowed drivers simplicity and a newfound ease of use when embarking on a motor journey. Prior to this invention, drivers were required to hand crank a “starting handle” repeatedly, until the engine roared to life. The electric starter would not have been possible without Plante’s lead-acid battery invention. I guess we can thank him for fewer incidences of carpal tunnel syndrome, and can maybe even blame him for that excess skin underneath our upper arm. Thanks, Plante.

Key-Start Ignition

In 1949, the glorious invention of the key operated ignition, took the automotive industry by storm. Prior to this important invention, drivers were required to put their left foot on the brake, their right heel on the accelerator, and the toes of their right foot on the starter pedal – all at the same time. Those who pressed too hard, were faced with a flooded engine, and drivers who didn’t press hard enough, were not able to go. Most drivers take for granted the simplicity of putting a key in their vehicle’s ignition and driving, but once upon a time, this invention was life-changing. Another shout-out to Plante, for saving us from another ridiculous ritual, simply to buy groceries.

Headlights

Sealed-beam headlights appeared on the market in 1939, and allowed driver’s to turn on their vehicle’s headlights with the flip of a switch. Prior to this, motorists needed to use a device with pressurized gas, to feed their headlamps to be ignited by a flame. If that doesn’t sound like an unfortunate explosion about to happen – I don’t know what does.

Everything Else

Nearly every piece of luxury or convenience you enjoy in your vehicle, is powered by a battery. In car technology systems, start/stop systems, hybrid car systems, and the all-electric car – would not be possible without the car battery.

Look How Far We’ve Come!

It has been well documented in this post, just how important the invention of the lead-acid battery was to the entire future of the automobile. Without it, who knows where we would be, or what we would be driving. One thing is for certain, we wouldn’t have the luxury of watching Blu-Ray movies in our backseat, or the simplicity of a one-touch down window.

The first-sealed car battery was brought to market in 1971, a major milestone for the automobile. Prior to this invention, drivers were required to continuously recharge or replace their battery, and regularly fill it with water. This routine was such a chore, in fact, that when the sealed car battery came out, drivers referred to it as the “Freedom Battery.”

This small, seemingly insignificant black box housed in your vehicle’s engine compartment, was once the topic of plenty of discussions and happiness. Maybe with the invention of the “Freedom Battery,” drivers popped the hood on their vehicle to show it off to their neighbors. The appreciation for something that is routinely ignored today, was once so important, it was all anyone could talk about.

We doubt that after reading this, you will run to your vehicle and take a selfie with your car battery, but hopefully you will have a newfound respect for the small black box that delivers all that power to your car, so you can take advantage of all the great amenities that same vehicle offers.