Send in the reserves

Automotive Design & Production, Nov, 2004

Adding a reserve cell to a normal car battery can give drivers an extra margin of safety, says Reserve Power Cell (Deerfield Beach, FL). Within the same footprint as a normal battery, Reserve Power Cell's Intellicell battery places main and reserve cells, as well as integrated electronics that monitor electrical flow. If the main cell isn't capable of starting the vehicle, the reserve cell is activated. It has enough power to get the vehicle started and keep it running for a limited period so the driver can get to safety.

The electronics package can communicate with on-board systems if desired, and alert services like On Star that the battery is in need of attention or replacement. An internal default switch prevents thermal runaway--a deep-discharge condition caused by a significant increase in the heat generated by the main battery--and the battery can be switched off and removed from the electrical system without disconnecting the battery cables. With battery as the number-one reason for vehicle starting problems, Reserve Power Cell thinks the Intellicell will give an extra margin of both safety and customer satisfaction.

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