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A battery is fundamentally an electro chemical gadget with a capacity to extract electric energy from chemical energy and store it for later use. Truck batteries with lead-acid are commonly used in golf carts, even though various types of batteries to suit different requirements are available. 'Deep cycle battery' can be explained as a battery with regular and deep discharge to its optimum potential. Cranking batteries used in cars and deep cycle batteries of golf carts are different in their design, architecture and objectives.

There are several differences in the functioning of the two even though they are designed and developed on similar principles, composition and chemistry. A car battery needs to generate surges of huge amount of power capable of turning on the engine for a short duration. After the engine starts, the alternator provides the needed power to the car. Use of thin lead plates deep cycle batteries increases the surface area and consequently produces sudden bursts of power. The design of the battery is such that you always end up in using less than 20% of its capacity and the total discharge of battery never happens. But a deep cycle battery is required to produce moderate amount of power steadily for longer duration. Several deep discharge-recycles are required because of its frequent power discharge up to 75%.Thicker active plates with high density active paste material and durable separators are preferred to withstand hundreds of these complete cycles. Thick plates achieve extended discharge-recharge cycles, resistance to corrosion and enhanced life expectancy.

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Reserve Capacity (RC) are the standard parameters for rating of the batteries. CCA is calculated on how many amps a battery can produce for a duration of 30 seconds at 32 degrees F temperature. The period of time that a battery can produce 25 amps of steady power at a voltage of 10.5 volts are more is its RC. The strongly constructed deep cycle batteries can deep cycle battery provide two to three times more RC than the car batteries but their CCA is only a half or less of a car battery.