What are Cranking Amps?

by: Dean Janse Van Vuuren
November 2020
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The specification sheet of batteries is filled with many details. Many consumers find the list to be overwhelming as they are unable to figure out the relevancy of the given data. Questions such as what the numbers mean and what is their impact on the battery’s performance are quite normal. Moreover, the information is often written in abbreviations which adds to the confusion of the customer base. BPZ aims to address all such concerns. That is why today, we would look at cranking amps (CA). The purpose of the discussion would be to understand its significance and impact on the battery’s performance. Different variants of the cranking amps such as cold cranking amps and hot cranking amps would be explored as well for adding further depth to the topic.

Let us start the discussion by defining cranking amps (CA) and what it refers to. In layman terms, CA is the battery’s ability to provide the initial burst of current at a particular temperature. Higher the cranking amps, higher the magnitude of initial burst of the current. This specification is in line with the purpose of the battery in a car. The main role of the battery is to provide the initial current needed to provide ignition to the car’s engine. A CA rating is a good way to assess the battery’s effectiveness of performing this role. The technical definition of CA refers to the ability of the battery to provide the specified amps for 30 seconds while maintaining a specified cut-off voltage (normally 7.2V) at 0°C.

The CA rating can be a misleading number as it sometimes fails to provide the true reflection of the battery’s capability. One of the factors that can distort the CA rating is the climate. Both extreme hot and extreme cold weather can have a negative impact on the car’s battery. The nature of the impact is different but both scenarios can cause the battery to perform below the levels specified by the CA rating. The battery performs its function as a result of chemical reactions that allow the chemical energy to be converted into electrical energy. Both high and low temperatures change the rate of these reactions.

High temperatures increase the rate of the chemical reactions taking place in the battery. When the rate reaches higher values the chemical changes in the battery may become permanent which may lead to irreversible damage to the battery. Consequently, the car battery’s lifespan is reduced. On the other hand, colder temperatures can have the opposite effect. They slowdown the chemical reaction to the point that its unable to perform the conversion from chemical energy to electrical energy. This may not reduce the battery’s overall lifespan, but it does hamper the everyday performance of the battery. In winters, it normally takes multiple attempts to start the car. This sluggish nature is generally more evident in the morning when the battery has cooled down overnight.

In light of these facts, one needs to look at another rating similar to CA which can help us estimate if the battery can withstand cold temperatures. That rating is the cold crank amps (CCA). The definition of CCA is similar to that of CA but with one key difference. It refers to the specified amps that can be delivered for 30 seconds while maintaining the specified cut-off voltage at -18 °C instead of 0°C. This gives a better indication of the battery’s performance in cold weather. Similar to CCA, we can look at hot cranking amps (HCA) which shows the battery’s performance in hotter climates. That is why its specified temperature is 26.7°C.

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