You know what your car battery is, even if you think you know nothing about cars. Your car battery is the thing that dies, and your car won’t start. It’s also what you have to “jump” if you forget and leave an interior light on overnight.
So, every car has to have a battery, and some cars have to have more than one. You might be someone who has never replaced a car battery before, or perhaps you are in the auto parts section right now and just picked your first battery up off the shelf. Either way, you might be surprised at just how heavy the battery is.
Car batteries are heavy! So, how much do they weigh, and why do they weigh so much? Read on to find out more.
How Much Does a Car Battery Weigh?
All this information is useful, but how much does a car battery actually weigh?
The average weight of a typical car battery is approximately 40 pounds. This is specifically for the flooded lead-acid type, which is used most commonly. Will there be exceptions in how much some weigh? Sure! There will be both lighter and heavier examples, but most will fall in the range of 35 to 45 lbs.
Knowing how heavy these different car battery weight categories are can help you choose wisely in a battery for your car.
Here are the weight categories for different car batteries:
- Lead-Acid car battery weight: 30 to 50 pounds (13.6 to 22.7 kg).
- Lithium-Ion car battery weight: 10 to 20 pounds (4.5 to 9.1 kg).
- AGM car battery weight: 30 to 45 pounds (13.6 to 20.4 kg).
- Gel car battery weight: 30 to 40 pounds (13.6 to 18.1 kg).
Below are examples of a few OEM batteries associated with popular cars and trucks.
Car Battery Weight Chart (for 20 Popular Cars)
Here are some examples of battery weights available in many of the best-selling cars and trucks of 2021.
Weights of OEM batteries were used when possible. In other words, common replacement brands for the vehicle manufacturer were used.
What is interesting is that the OEM batteries in general are much heavier than the aftermarket brands which are frequently used for replacement.
| Vehicle | Battery Weight | Brand | CCA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A5 | 57.3 lbs | Varta (OEM) | 520 |
| BMW 3-Series | 45.3 lbs | Duralast | 680 |
| Chevy Silverado 1500 | 42.1 lbs | ACDelco | 800 |
| Dodge Charger | 42.9 lbs | DieHard | 800 |
| Dodge Durango | 53.6 lbs | Mopar (OEM) | 700 |
| Ford Explorer | 47.3 lbs | Motorcraft (OEM) | 760 |
| Ford F-150 | 47.3 lbs | Motorcraft (OEM) | 760 |
| Ford Mustang | 32.0 lbs | Motorcraft (OEM) | 590 |
| Honda Accord | 27.7 lbs | Interstate | 500 |
| Honda CR-V | 39.0 lbs | NAPA | 600 |
| Honda Pilot | 38.9 lbs | Interstate | 730 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 53.6 lbs | Mopar (OEM) | 700 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 32.3 lbs | Interstate | 550 |
| Nissan Rogue | 45.6 lbs | ACDelco | 760 |
| Ram 1500 | 58.0 lbs | Mopar (OEM) | 850 |
| Subaru Forester | 31.7 lbs | Optima | 720 |
| Toyota Corolla | 33.5 lbs | Interstate | 650 |
| Toyota Highlander | 37.6 lbs | Interstate | 615 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 33.5 lbs | Interstate | 650 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 35.8 lbs | Interstate | 600 |
Why Are Car Batteries So Heavy?
Car batteries are so heavy because they are usually comprised of dense lead battery cells. Typically for a standard car, there are 6 of them and they are made from one of the denser elements on the periodic table!
Then, if you think about the fact that it is usually a 12 x 8 x 5 box that is filled with lead and electrolyte solution, just imagine how heavy that must be.
Now, this is not to say that there have been advances in battery weight. AGM, Gel, and Lithium-Ion batteries are all at least 40% lighter than traditional batteries, but all of them cost quite a bit more.
So, along with a lower weight battery comes a higher cost. To your benefit, the higher-end batteries will last longer so you could still be ahead of the game if you are not replacing your battery every other year.
Why weight of batteries important?
Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain. That’s what they’ve taught me about packing a backpack for an expedition, and this is the same for your car. Every little thing that you put on your vehicle only adds weight, and the more weight you put on the car, you’re more likely to hurt your efficiency.
Having a heavier car means needing to burn more gas or energy to get it to move the same distance. So it takes longer to accelerate, it has poorer gas mileage, and therefore, the costs continue to add up.
Your battery surely follows this same logic. The heavier the battery, the heavier the car.
In general, the Wet-Cell or lead-acid battery will be heavier because those is not refined to the same extent. They are easier to manufacture, cheaper, and more simplified constructions. In the world of “cars,” it usually means heavier.
But don’t you know, you might be surprised to know there are battery types.
Car Battery Types
Flooded Lead Acid
The cheapest battery option and the oldest technology of “Wet-Cell” is the Flooded Lead Acid battery whether has 6 cells in an electrolyte solution that needs to maintain a vertical position (to limit the solution from spilling).
A Flooded Lead Acid battery can output normally 12.6V, but this can vary for several reasons. A Flooded Lead Acid battery must be “topped off” with the electrolyte solution for continuing use. For this type of battery, the battery uses the water in the electrolyte solution!
This type of battery is easy to install and can be done on-site in the auto parts store. You can take it out of the box and have someone help you install it in the part store parking lot!
But, if you are installing this battery for the first time and doing it yourself, please remember to keep the battery VERTICAL to not spill the electrolyte solution. That will make this a better experience!
There is a subgroup of the “Flooded Lead Acid Battery” called a “Sealed Lead Acid Battery”, a SLA for short. This is a Flooded Lead Acid that is completely sealed and has a different electrolyte solution that does not need to be topped off, which I simply do not understand.
Apparently, a Ph.D. chemist figured out how to not use water in the batteries and patented it before the Lead companies could get to him/her. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I’m just saying.
Enhanced Flooded Battery
In essence, this is a high-performance component of the flooded battery. It uses a narrower grid, and has more plates in the cells of the battery as a whole, the end result is over twice the amount of “Cold Cranking Amps” (basically how hard your car starts) compared to the typical battery you would buy from NAPA or Autozone.
Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM)
Another more common battery is called the AGM battery. This is a battery that uses absorbent, fiberglass battery to hold the electrolyte solution, meaning it is spill-proof. This makes for a very effective battery, especially for stop-start applications.
AGM batteries are nearly always comparatively a lighter weight than a traditional lead-acid battery, they are 20-100% more expensive than a standard wet-cell battery, they usually last 2-3x longer and are generally more reliable. This is the one I want. buy once cry once right?
Lithium-Ion Batteries
You are going to eventually find lithium-ion batteries through your battery search by weight, which are some of the most effective and efficient batteries out there, but very high priced for a light-weight battery.
Optima also makes a strong argument for someone looking for batteries for their race cars. The Optima weighs in at only 10 lbs and has a product that won’t slosh around when you head into your next corner.
This also seems to be a big concern for those who participate in big desert races. With the need to rely on light-weight batteries that need to turn over regardless of whether you are floating/ skipping across the desert at 100mph, or plowing through a river.
This is more of one decision you are going to have to make for yourself… how important are your battery weight and cost to you in what your doing?
Weight Distribution
If you’ve driven in a higher-performance vehicle of the German variety, you’ve probably seen the battery located in the trunk instead of under the hood; why is that?
Well, in performance cars, it has everything to do with weight distribution…if you can move 40lbs of battery from the front of the car (where more weight is) to the back, you have what many car enthusiasts are referring to as “better weight distribution”.
Not getting too deep in the weeds, but all cars rely on having a proportionate amount of mass over each of their four wheels. This means the tires will have some force to push the rubber onto the road and not lose traction, especially when braking quickly.
For the most part, cars are going to have more weight on the front wheels. Why? Because that’s where the engine, transmission, cooling system, intake, steering rack, all the dense machinery is to make our hard-earned dollars better at getting us to where we want to go.
Which also means most cars will always have a turn, brake, and acceleration bias toward the front of the car.
If you have too much weight up front, and not enough over the rear wheels, while at the ring, or a track day at your local race track your car won’t be balanced.
You may find the rear stepping out, at which point you’ll need to nurse it back with counter steer.
So, by moving some weight ( a.k.a. the battery) from the front of the car to the rear part of the car, you’re redistributing some of that weight to get slightly better grip from the rear wheels.
Are Heavier Batteries Better?
Not always! We are talking the same size battery, so a heavier battery is likely going to be cheaper and more likely to be found at a local store.
But as far as longer life, cold-cranking amps, and power overall, light-weight batteries are going to serve you better.
The only reason these batteries are a problem is that they are usually more expensive and are harder for the average consumer to find.
How Can You Find out How Much Your Car Battery Weighs?
If you have a scale at home, you could always just take your battery out and weigh it (outside!), but keep in mind, the lead, the corrosion, and the solution will be everywhere.
A better option is to look at the label on the battery. Most commonly, it will tell you how much that battery weighed when it came out of the factory.
This may not be the same weight, as your wet cell battery uses the water from the electrolyte solution!