The humble battery charger has come a long way

Having developed from the old steel box with a rubber handle to today’s modern switch mode multiple stage chargers, you could wonder what else could be done to improve battery chargers.
OzCharge – part of the Zylux family – says the fact is that the world around the charger is constantly evolving, and therefore charger manufacturers today must be vigilant and alert to new and emerging technologies.

OzCharge R&D
Battery technology has been pretty constant for the last 100 years with small changes to lead acid technology and the big innovations of the time being AGM and GEL batteries.
But today, we appear to be in a constant state of change from Hybrid Stop Start AGM to Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB) which can do a lot more cranks, to Lithium and even batteries like the Fiamm capacitor and AGM combined together in the same case. And just over the horizon is solid state batteries and a string of technologies like carbon and sodium based batteries.
OzCharge says its technical team is constantly testing and researching new and emerging technologies, with nothing rushed to the market until the R&D team knows that the end user will have a positive experience.
The company offers up its Pro Lithium range as a great example of this – stating that not only does the new range now include a Lithium setting, but you can also charge all the traditional batteries including the newer stop starts and EFB.
“OzCharge didn’t just rush out with a Lithium charge curve to be the first. Our R&D team tested and tested, carefully selecting the optimum Lithium charge curve for LiFePO4 Lithium, and for Australian conditions,” OzCharge R&D Manager, Troy Sturtevant, said.

“We are very proud of the fact that all of our algorithms are designed right here in Melbourne by a team of ‘Ozzies’ with a long history within the electrical industry going back 30-plus years.
“Our testing is done here in Australia, in Australian conditions, for batteries in Australia. Not some American or European charge curve in a flashy box. They are chargers built to work here, thus the name: OzCharge.”
The research and development process at OzCharge includes working with customers and resellers all over Australia.
“OzCharge has been a proud partner of major battery retailers all over Australia, and over the decades the team has listened to feedback,” Troy said.
“It may be about the quality of the clamps, the ability to wall mount the charger or the fact that the charger remembers the last setting to make it easier for retail users – OzCharge listens and constantly improves.”
One area the team has been focusing on lately is the power draw of its chargers.
“The world is changing, and attitudes are changing with it. The world now demands a greater focus on the environment and the footprint we leave,” Troy said.
“In light of this, the team at OzCharge have worked very hard on the power draw of the chargers and I am proud to say the OzCharge range meets the Californian low standby power requirements and has the lowest standby power in its class. Even the packaging has been carefully considered.

30-plus years of automotive industry experience
Founded in 1991, Zylux was originally born out of the car audio industry before in 2001 it began to develop battery chargers, releasing a 900 milliamp model, followed soon after by two Amp.
In 2004 The OzCharge brand was born, and the company has since continually grown, developing new and innovative products to meet the needs of an ever evolving world.
“Today the brand is recognised for its quality, reliability and after sales service; supplying major battery retailers nationally and internationally,” Troy said.

‘Ozzie’ Innovation
OzCharge is quick to point out that its innovation isn’t just limited to battery chargers.
In 2016 its team designed and patented the world’s first battery-less, capacitor-based Emergency Jump Pack, colloquially named “Rescue Mate.” Upon its launch at SEMA, the product won the coveted AAPEX Award that year for Best New Safety Product.
Rescue Mate does not need to be charged and can in fact be used to jumpstart an already flat battery, as long as the battery has more than five volts remaining.
To use, attach Rescue Mate to the flat battery, press the start button, wait for about 60 seconds until the unit charges and then jump start the car, from its own flat battery.
If the battery is below five volts you can easily charge your Rescue Mate from any 12 volt battery and transfer it over to the flat battery when charged and ready.
“This is Ozzie innovation at its very best! And we should all be proud of the achievements because companies now pay to license this technology from us Ozzies!” Troy said.

Quality chargers bring benefits to workshops
The days of changing points and tuning the vehicle are now well behind us in history.
OzCharge says the modern vehicle pretty much tunes itself, so it can be difficult for the technician to make a noticeable difference in the vehicle’s running or feel to a customer.
However, it says that by using a quality charger and performing a maintenance or top-up charge whilst servicing, workshops can make a huge impression on the customer the next time they start their car.
With a full battery, OzCharge says the vehicle is very likely to start much faster than before the service and it points towards its OzCharge Pro Series 25 Amp as a quality workshop charger option that can charge a wide range of battery sizes and chemistries.

Ozzie Exports
A culture of constant improvement and high-quality and feature-rich products (which are not always the cheapest) has now caught the attention of the world.
OzCharge battery chargers and patented battery-less jump packs are now being exported to the USA, the UK, Ireland, India, New Zealand and the UAE.
“This is a testament to the power of Ozzie innovation and quality,” Troy said.
“Here at OzCharge we make innovative products that stand the test of time and deliver excellent value for money – all backed by high levels of aftersales service and support.”

To learn more about OzCharge and its range, visit www.ozcharge.au or email info@ozcharge.com.au