The Differences Between a Car Battery and a Marine Battery

Is a Marine Battery the Same as a Car Battery?

To the naked eye, both batteries look the same, but you will be surprised to find out that marine batteries have quite a bit more to offer than your traditional car battery.

Automotive

• Made with more lead plates but also thinner to allow a higher discharge current to crank the engine.
• Generally used only to start the engine.

Marine

• Made with sturdier, thicker lead plates to withstand the shaking and vibrations of a harsh boating environment.
• 15x more vibration resistant than traditional car batteries.
• Terminals are designed specifically with boats in mind.
• Comes in many forms: Starting, Deep Cycle, Dual Purpose (Starting and Deep Cycle) and Lithium Deep Cycle.

The main marine batteries currently available on the market are not power type. Most of them are starter type and deep cycle: some are used to start the engine, some provide continuous energy supply, provide energy for the electrical characteristics of the ship (the ship's lighting, sound system, and pump battery power), and some have a dual function.

Marine deep cycle energy storage batteries and RV batteries are generally interchangeable, but as starting batteries, they cannot be interchangeable with car starting batteries (marine batteries cannot be used for cars, but cars can be used for marine batteries, only for the starting function). The marine starting current is identified by the MCA rating to identify the marine battery, rather than the standard car "Cold Cranking Amps" (CCA). The MCA capability of marine batteries is tested at freezing point 0 degrees Celsius, rather than below freezing point at minus 18 degrees Celsius like CCA, as few cruise ships wade through icy waters.