Car Battery Sizes

The BCI, or the Battery Council International,the trade association for the lead-acid battery industry. BCI is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the interests of the international lead-acid battery industry. It established standardized car battery sizes to be followed by car manufacturers around the world. The chart for all battery sizes can be found in their Website at Batterycouncil.org in case you want to look up for your battery size and its compatible replacement. The batteries are grouped into 24, 26, 70, 75, etc. sizes, and most of the automobiles today support more than one group size for ease of replacement.

In North America, the batteries are grouped according to the size of its casing, the terminal placement, type, and the polarity of the batteries. In Asia, it is the Japanese standard (JIS) that is followed; and in Europe, it is the EN, Italian CEI, IKC, and the German DIN standards that are used.

 The CCA (cold cranking amps) and the RC (reserve capacity) are different in the same car battery sizes group. Moreover, the CCA and the RC also varies within the same model of the same brand. To determine which CCA and RCA rating is best for you, you need to consult your manual or read the specifications on top of your original equipment manufacturer battery. The group size of your battery and the recommendations of the possible replacement can also be found in your manual.

It doesn't mean that the larger the car battery size, the more expensive the battery is. Car battery prices are determined by the type and the model of the battery, not the car battery size. So it is possible for you to get a smaller, more expensive battery, or a larger, less expensive one. But it usually goes that the larger the battery size, the higher is its CCA and RC ratings.

So before you buy your replacement battery, be sure that you are buying one that belongs to the same group as your OEM. You could get a battery from another group, but make sure that your manufacturer recommended it. It should fit in your car's battery tray, the terminals connect to your cable, and the battery terminals wouldn't touch your hood when closed.

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