Polarity
In this case, polarity refers to the location of the terminals on the battery. Traditionally, it is called by the location of the “+” terminal when looking at the battery from the front side (or, in the case of side terminals, from the side closer to which they are located).
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+ left. In relation to passenger cars, this polarity in the CIS countries is often called “direct” or “ours”. At the same time, in trucks (see “Purpose”) the situation is the opposite - the left “plus” is a European standard.
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+ on the right. In passenger cars, the right “plus” is typical mainly for European models, for which this polarity in the CIS countries received the unofficial name “euro”, or “reverse” (as opposed to the domestic “direct”). In truck batteries the opposite is true.
- + right / + left. This marking means that this battery model is available with both right and left “plus” (see above), and you can choose the option depending on the car model.
Note that the above division into “direct” and “reverse” polarity is not absolute, and in any case, before purchasing a battery, this parameter in your car should be clarified separately.
Battery capacity
The electrical capacity of a battery, in other words, the amount of energy stored by a battery when fully charged. The capacity value is expressed in amp-hours and indicates the number of hours during which a fully charged battery will be discharged to the minimum allowable charge, delivering a current of 1 ampere to the load. For example, a capacity of 40 Ah means that the battery is capable of delivering a current of 1 A for 40 hours, or 2 A for 20 hours, etc. In fact, a more capacious battery gives more attempts to start the engine, and is also able to work longer at a low load (for example, when powering a car audio system).
The capacity requirements for different transport types differ markedly. So, in motorcycle batteries, it rarely exceeds 20 Ah, the average value for passenger cars is 40-80 Ah (but there are options for 100 Ah or more), and for heavy equipment like buses, an acceptable capacity starts somewhere from 100 Ah. The optimal value of the battery capacity is often indicated by the manufacturer in the characteristics of the vehicle, and when choosing a model by capacity, you should focus primarily on these figures.
Starting power (EN)
Battery starting power measured according to EN standard. According to this standard, the starting power is the maximum power that a battery at an electrolyte temperature of -18 °C can produce for 30 s without the voltage dropping below a certain level (for standard 12 V batteries - not lower than 7.2 V). The term “starting” appeared because this mode of operation is similar to starting an engine, when the battery has to supply high power power to the starter for a short time.
The recommended starting power value is generally related to the weight category of the machine: the heavier it is, the more powerful the power is usually needed to start. And many manufacturers directly indicate recommended values in the characteristics of a particular vehicle model. If the battery is purchased as a replacement, then the general rule is this: its starting power should be no less than that of its predecessor.
Note that in practice there may be designations for starting power according to 3 more standards: SAE (USA), DIN (Germany) and TU (GOST 959-91). The first is almost identical to EN, and DIN and TU are quite easy to convert to EN and vice versa: they are similar to each other, and each of them gives a number approximately 1.7 times smaller than NE. That is, for example, to replace a 200 A battery according to the specifications, you should look for a model with a power of at least 340 A (200 * 1.7) according to EN.
