During the digital specialist event Conference Days 2025, Patric Rückert, Field Sales Representative at Clarios Germany GmbH & Co. KG, presented practical insights into current and future requirements for batteries for commercial vehicles on the "Truck & Bus" stage on May 13. Under the title "VARTA – The right battery for modern commercial vehicle electrical systems," the speaker highlighted technological differences, common causes of failure, and key trends in electrical power supply in heavy-duty transport.
The central finding: Battery stress increases due to longer idle times and more and more electronic consumers in the vehicle – from the stationary air conditioner to comfort features like a microwave or
oven. The most common cause of failure remains deep discharge (61%). Heat, vibrations due to mounting on the rear axle, and fuel-saving measures like decoupling the alternator also exacerbate the strain.
Rückert introduced three battery types in comparison: The classic SLI battery (Starting, Lighting, Ignition) with short endurance during stationary air conditioning operation, the more powerful EFB variant (EFB stands for "Enhanced Flooded Battery," a battery technology developed for vehicles with start-stop automatic systems), and the AGM battery (Absorbent Glass Mat), which scores with improved deep discharge properties, longer lifespan, and vibration resistance. The latter enables up to eight hours of stationary air conditioning operation without recharging.
More
power with higher efficiency required
Looking at future requirements in fleet operation, it becomes clear: The on-board battery remains essential even as high-voltage systems become more widespread. It continues to handle all key-off functions, ensures the shutdown of the HV system, and serves as a fallback level in emergencies. At the same time, the cycle load increases as recuperation energy is primarily fed into the HV battery. The "Varta Promotive AGM" already meets these requirements today – including the potential to save up to 400 liters of fuel per year and vehicle.
Fleet operators receive additional support through the Varta Partner Portal with an integrated TCO calculator and
the mobile on-site service Varta Van for customer consultation.
Digital forum for logistics decision-makers
The session took place as part of the Conference Days 2025 – a purely digital B2B event of the HUSS-VERLAG, conducted for the fifth time from May 12 to 15, 2025, at CONFERENCE-DAYS.de. Already in 2024, over 1,100 participants used the online format to inform themselves about current developments in logistics, transport, and commercial vehicle technology in 30 live sessions. The platform offers, in addition to knowledge transfer, numerous digital opportunities for networking and exchange between participants and partners.
Further information and the current program of the Conference Days at https://conference-days.de/. Expired sessions are
