Tom Bateman

You have a car in perfect condition on display. A customer wanders round, seemingly excited and ready to buy. They ask for a test drive. You hand over the keys, knowing the drivetrain is in immaculate condition. But then everything goes wrong. The customer sits in the driver’s seat, puts the key in the ignition, […]

In the world of automotive batteries, system testing is checking the condition of your vehicle’s 12-volt (or 24-volt) system. This includes the battery (or batteries), charging system (alternator), and starter motor. To conduct a system test, you need a system tester. This functions in much the same way as a standard battery tester, in that

You may be looking for information on one of two things, and we’ve included both on this page. Either: Balancing 24-volt systems (connected in series); or Balancing series-connected EV modules/cell groups Both these processes are incredibly important for your fleet operations, although for slightly different reasons. You can learn more about how these processes work

Your fleet EVs rely on their high-voltage propulsion batteries. They are, quite literally, the driving force. Despite onboard battery management systems (BMSs) helping keep the cells balanced, the cells themselves inevitably degrade over time. On this page, we explain what exactly happens to make your fleet electric cars’ batteries imbalanced, what happens when you balance

Roadside breakdowns aren’t just frustrating. They mean downtime, delayed schedules and disruption to your drivers, all of which can impact your bottom line and reputation. While many fleet operators traditionally relied on third-party recovery services, a growing number now handle first-line roadside support themselves. If you’re one of them, or are developing such a system,

If you run a busy garage, service centre or workshop, there are only two things on your mind, speed and accuracy. You need fast answers and solutions that minimise repeat faults. Using the wrong battery charger can slow your workflow down. The right one can speed everything up. Midtronics makes a wide range of excellent

As a service centre for passenger vehicles and vans, you’ll be familiar with battery problems. You know the importance of staying on top of these with a well-thought-out in-house battery management system (BMS). And as such, you likely have a number of testers and chargers, brought in over time, deployed at various stages of your

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular on our roads. You’ve no doubt noticed. That means demand for EV servicing is gradually increasing, and electric cars are increasingly likely to be involved in road traffic incidents or encountered by police officers. And while EVs certainly help reduce road pollution, we’re still, as a society, ironing out

A 24-volt battery system offers fantastic benefits. It halves current for a given power level, reducing resistive losses and improving cranking performance in high-load vehicles. But one of the main operational challenges in these setups is battery imbalance. These issues tend to develop over months or even years, and the driver and technicians might not

You know those mornings when there’s too much to do and you’re in a rush? Well, maybe that’s every morning. Between an emergency puncture repair and getting all your vehicles ready for the day, you might be tempted to fast charge that car battery to save some time. But when you go back to it,