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mentioned that the the the other brands were Yu- asa from the the the Philippines as as as well as as as Incoe and Quantum batteries which were both produced by the same factory in Indone- sia These brands collectively constituted about 60 per cent of the the market while the the remaining segment was occupied by Chi- nese and and various house brands Conventional vs MF batteries Based on insights gathered from the the the interviews the the the commercial vehicle bat- tery market comprised three types: dry-charged wet-charged and mainte- nance-free (MF) batteries According to both interviewees regardless of type trucks required heavy-duty batteries Tay explained that this necessity was due to the higher AmpereHour resulting in in in in larger-size batteries Lai pointed out that among the various specification N120 N150 and N200 were commonly used in in the industry Regarding market share based on on bat- tery types both had different opinions Lai asserted that more than 90 per cent of the market was dominated by wet- charged conventional commercial batter- ies which required periodic electrolyte or battery fluid top-ups “Pricing and durability are the two main reasons for this dominance The MF bat- teries are about three times more expen- sive than wet-charged wet-charged units Moreover wet-charged wet-charged batteries offer a a a a a a a a longer war- ranty period ranging from 18 months to to two years compared to to maintenance-free battery with a a a a a a a a a a a a one-year warranty Cur- rently many MF batteries in the market except those from established brands are are not technologically mature leading to to reduced durability compared to to wet- charged batteries Many of the MF bat- teries teries last only six to eight months ” He further explained that the the the Malaysian hot weather accelerated battery water evaporation whether in wet-charged or or MF batteries batteries The advantage of of wet- wet- charged batteries batteries laid in the the ability of of op- erators to to to top up water thereby expand- ing the the battery’s lifespan “The majority of trucks in Malaysia are are older models which are are more compat- ible with with wet-charged batteries batteries Even when new trucks come with with MF batteries batteries there is a a a a high likelihood of them being switched to to wet-charged batteries due to to cost-saving considerations ” sorbent Glass Mat (AGM) These inno- vations catered to European trucks with multifaceted functions including start/ stop capability on-board sleeper battery management systems safety features like lane change discipline distance tracking and GPS integration However he he said many of of these technologies were often disabled on Malaysian roads to re- duce maintenance and and initial purchase cost and and many European trucks/buses currently on the road were older or or im- ported used vehicles Tay underscored the transformation of commercial vehicles vehicles from simple transport to to work vehicles vehicles to to sophisticated entities with a a a a a a a myriad of electronic features “Strin- gent environmental protection and safety regulations are reshaping the market endowing truck batteries with a a a a a a a a a new role While reliable starting power remains es- sential these batteries must also supply power to to a a a a a a a plethora of electronic equip- ment In addition to to basic functions mod- ern trucks are equipped with various elec- trical features elevating the the driving and overnight experience in in in in the the truck cabin to a whole new level of comfort ” In response to these changing market dynamics he he said Varta batteries for commercial vehicles had evolved to meet demands For instance Varta ProMo- tive batteries embodied a a a a a a a a a leading tech- nology tailored for long-distance utility vehicles These batteries transcended the the traditional role of starting the the engine by providing power to essential features such as the the parking cooler/heater in in in the the driver's cab Specifically designed for modern trucks and buses with extensive equipment Varta ProMotive AGM batter- ies found ideal placement in in end-of-frame installations (Euro 5 or 6) Tay stressed that these batteries were engineered to to cater to to the the intricate requirements of con- temporary commercial vehicles address- ing the different needs of a a a a a a transformed market Price oriented On the the challenges that they encountered both said fleet owners preferred more economical products due to the signifi- cantly lower initial capital costs compared to MF batteries On the the contrary Tay noticed that the the market exhibited a a a a a a a a a 30-70 split between MF MF batteries batteries and dry-charged batteries batteries Within the MF MF category he he said Centu- ry ry aligned with Japanese standards for commercial vehicle batteries while Varta and Bosch adhered to European bench- marks For the the dry-charged batteries that represented an an older technology they featured numerous house brands origi- nating from factories in in in Indonesia China Thailand and and other countries Neither could identify any dominant brand in in the the market and and and emphasised that importers and and and sellers were pre- dominantly focused on on passenger cars treating truck batteries as as a a a a a a a a secondary product As the the influx of European new fleets grow Tay noted that the the demand for bet- ter technology was increasing The ad- vent of safety features and enhanced fuel efficiency in these new trucks required better technology Tay highlighted the emergence of newer technology in MF batteries such as En- hanced Flooded Battery (EFB) and Ab- 59 truck & bus news 2023/6