In an era where efficiency and range are crucial, saving a few kilograms of vehicle weight might sound trivial to most, but for engineers, it’ s a lot.
South Africa is renowned as one of the world’ s most developed markets for adventure overlanding and all-terrain touring vehicles. With customers needing a lot of additional power when camping or touring deep into rural wilderness areas, such as the Northern Cape, or into bordering countries such as Botswana, Namibia, or Mozambique.
SMARTER BATTERIES
In an era where efficiency and range are crucial, saving a few kilograms of vehicle weight might sound trivial to most, but for engineers, it’ s a lot.
Seemingly small weight savings compound and can have a marginal influence on fuel consumption and, more importantly, CO2 emissions ratings. And it’ s that tiny improvement in measured CO2 and its overboost implications in many global markets that make engineers obsess about lightweight components. And saving 50-70 % in battery weight while improving performance by switching from traditional lead-acid to lithium-ion is a big win.
‘ Smart’ batteries
Many automotive engineering project managers are speaking of 48V as the defining future electrical architecture for all vehicles. But most vehicles in the local market, especially affordable family cars and robust bakkies, still use 12V.
In a market where turbodiesel double-cabs are popular family vehicles, the demands on dualbattery systems are real. Most South African bakkie and SUV owners still prefer traditional turbodiesel powertrains, but also need enhanced starter and auxiliary battery systems that offer the benefits of the latest lithium- or sodium-ion chemistries.
South Africa is renowned as one of the world’ s most developed markets for adventure overlanding and all-terrain touring vehicles. With customers needing a lot of additional power when camping or touring deep into rural wilderness areas, such as the Northern Cape, or into bordering countries such as Botswana, Namibia, or Mozambique.
Refrigeration, electronic device charging, and campsite illumination create a significant power demand, and auxiliary batteries need to manage it. A battery failure or compromised performance deep in a rural area while overlanding. doesn’ t only cost you valuable vacation time. It can also be very costly to call in help to your location with spare components.
That ' s why the latest starter and auxiliary battery chemistries, with their superior power densities, are ideal for overlanders and South Africans who use their SUVs and double-cab bakkies as true adventure vehicles.
The latest generation of batteries also includes smart sensor technology, enabling much better battery health awareness and oversight, helping owners stay ahead of potential battery issues. Because you can have the best petrol or diesel powertrain technology available, but if your starter battery isn’ t functioning, you’ re going nowhere.
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2026 15 WORDS IN ACTION