Battery specialist Yuasa is encouraging garages to introduce a simple battery check as part of their pre-NCT and service schedules to identify if the vehicle’s battery has been damaged due to reduced usage over lockdown.

At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is estimated that around 70% of cars remained immobile and garages are seeing a growth in business as the NCT service begins to tackle its backlog.

A study, led by Yuasa estimates that roughly one in ten vehicles that enter a workshop require a replacement battery, a figure that it expects is now much higher due to the extended period of reduced usage. However, workshops rarely check the battery health to identify its condition.

Typically, a battery check, which takes less than a minute to complete, can be carried out before any service work is undertaken. The customer can then be informed if a replacement is required and a new battery fitted, saving the potential distress of a battery failure.

Over the past few years many garages and workshops have increased their revenue by joining Yuasa’s Always Check The Battery scheme. As part of this the company can provide complete workshop battery testing kits, including a GS Yuasa battery tester.

James Hylton, Managing Director of GS Yuasa Battery Sales said, “Garages and workshops should be checking the battery on every vehicle that comes through the door. It is well documented that extended periods of inactivity can have a detrimental effect on a car’s battery. As lockdown has been gradually eased, we’ve seen an increase in battery failure and encourage all garages and workshops to incorporate a simple battery check into all vehicles they see.”

For more information about Yuasa’s Always Check The Battery scheme, visit www.yuasa.co.uk/batterycheck.