Care tips

Short distance & car battery: How to avoid damage

Das Bild zeigt ein geparktes Auto vor einem Bäckerladen.

You probably know the drill: a quick trip to the bakery, a quick trip to the post office, picking up the kids from school - many of us only travel short distances by car every day. What may seem practical and time-saving at first glance can, however, be a real drain on your car battery.

In this blog post, we explain why short journeys damage your battery and how you can protect it. We also give you tips on how to find the right battery for your vehicle and what you should look out for when buying one.

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Why short journeys damage your battery

Think of your car battery as a small power station. Every time you start your car, it needs a powerful boost of energy to get the engine running. Even while driving, the battery supplies power to all electrical consumers such as lights, radio and air conditioning.

On longer journeys, the alternator, which is the charger of your battery so to speak, has enough time to replenish the energy consumed. On short journeys, however, there is often an energy deficit. Although the battery is used, it does not have enough time to fully recharge.
The graph shows the gradual deep discharge of a battery.

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The consequences of constant undercharging

If your battery is constantly undercharged, this can have serious consequences:

Shortened service life

A constantly undercharged battery ages faster and needs to be replaced sooner.

Loss of performance

The battery loses capacity and, in the worst case, can no longer supply enough energy to start your car.

Breakdown risk

Particularly in winter, when temperatures drop and the battery is under greater strain anyway, the risk of a breakdown due to a weak battery increases.

Higher costs

Premature battery replacement can be expensive.

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How to protect your battery from short journeys

Even though short trips are often unavoidable, there are a few things you can do to save your battery:

Reduce energy consumption

Switch off unnecessary consumers such as seat heating, rear window heating and air conditioning, especially on short journeys. In summer, the air conditioning can also cause considerable power consumption, so it is advisable to use it sparingly or switch it off completely on short journeys.
Das Bild zeigt eine Grafik einer Batterie, die verschiedene elektronische Verbraucher versorgt.

Plan longer journeys

Try to drive longer distances regularly so that your battery has a chance to fully recharge.

Use a battery charger

If you do not use your car for a long time or mainly drive short distances, charge the battery regularly with an external charger.
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Check the charge status with the intAct Battery-Guard

The intAct Battery-Guard allows you to check the charge status of your battery quickly and easily. This means you always have an overview and can intervene in good time if the battery needs support.

Discover intAct Battery-Guard!

No more starting problems!
No more flat car and motorcycle batteries.

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The right battery for your vehicle

Not all batteries are the same. If you frequently drive short distances or your car has many electrical consumers, you should choose a powerful battery that is specially designed for such requirements.

Das Bild zeigt zwei schwarze Starterbatterien mit der Aufschrift Premium-Power Our intAct Premium Power is a high-quality wet-cell battery that is ideal for vehicles with higher equipment levels. It offers high starting power, a long service life and reliable performance even with frequent short trips. However, it is not suitable for start-stop vehicles!

to our intAct Premium-Power batteries

Das Bild zeigt zwei schwarze Batteriekästen mit der Aufschrift intAct Start-Stop-Power EFB & AGM For vehicles with automatic start-stop, we recommend our intAct Start-Stop-Power EFB or intAct Start-Stop-Power EFB. These batteries are particularly cycle-resistant and can easily cope with the frequent charging and discharging processes during start-stop operation.

If you would like to find out more about the advantages of EFB and AGM batteries, read our detailed article on this topic.

to the detailed article

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Conclusion: With the right battery and a little care, your car will always be ready to go

Short journeys can really put a strain on your car battery. However, with the right battery and a little care, you can ensure that your car always starts reliably.

Pay attention to low energy consumption, plan longer journeys regularly and check the charge status of your battery. If you need a new battery, choose a model that suits your driving profile and your vehicle.
That way, you'll have peace of mind on the road, even on short journeys, and won't have to worry about any nasty surprises.