Fact or fiction about life of batteries in hot areas
Just curious...I was told yesterday that batteries in cars/trucks only last about 5 or 6 years in AZ heat. "Sitting in hot weather cooks them and shorten their lives". Fact or fiction?
Forum Discussion
I've seen threads on auto enthusiast forums on how long batteries should be expected to last. Pretty much invariably, those writing from warm southern climates report significantly lower life than those from cool northern climates, often by a substantial margin (3-4 years vs 6-7 years, for instance). While it's only anecdotal evidence, eventually there are enough and consistent anecdotes that one suspects an actual measurable trend exists.
All other things being equal, the battery under the hood of the car being driven in 90° weather will be quite a bit warmer than one in a car being driven in 30° weather, even if both will be well above the outside ambient temperatures.
It's quite possible that a vehicle driven a lot would suffer battery failure more quickly than one driven a moderate (but consistent) amount. I don't know how the life of taxi batteries compares to that of private automobiles, say. Regardless, I suspect that in the grand scheme of operating a taxi, the battery line item would be absolutely negligible.
All other things being equal, the battery under the hood of the car being driven in 90° weather will be quite a bit warmer than one in a car being driven in 30° weather, even if both will be well above the outside ambient temperatures.
It's quite possible that a vehicle driven a lot would suffer battery failure more quickly than one driven a moderate (but consistent) amount. I don't know how the life of taxi batteries compares to that of private automobiles, say. Regardless, I suspect that in the grand scheme of operating a taxi, the battery line item would be absolutely negligible.
