Some consumers need cost-effective batteries to power up their fleet of golf carts. Other clients may need a high-powered, advanced battery to give them the best range and fast charging for their electric vehicles. With so many different vehicle types and functions, it makes sense that there’d be a lot of batteries to choose from for each one.

But which batteries will work best for your customers’ vehicles? It all depends on what vehicle type they have and what they require it to do. Not all batteries are created equal, and knowing which battery works best for certain vehicles can make a world of difference in performance and longevity.

In this article, we’ll break down some of the most common battery types, their uses, and some pros and cons to help you find the right battery for any application.

Why Vehicles Require Different Battery Types

Batteries are designed differently to support various performance needs. Some batteries need to have a lower depth of discharge to better support stop-start functions in cars, a popular function in modern vehicles for its fuel economy benefits. Other batteries need to work in marine and recreational settings.

You can’t put the same 9V battery that you use for your smoke detector in your TV remote, and the same sentiment rings true for vehicles. While some vehicles can accept different battery types, not all batteries are interchangeable.

Let’s say your customer upgrades to a plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle, which will require far more power than a standard battery designed for a gas-fueled car. In that case, your customer will need a powerful battery designed to do more than just get your engine started, like a lithium-ion, to keep all the electrical and computerized systems running.