Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Ltd – the UK market leader for Automotive Aftermarket, Industrial and Motorcycle Batteries – has announced a comprehensive automotive battery solution for the UK and pan-European markets. The new range is designed to spearhead the company’s ambitious growth plans in the UK and Europe as Yuasa looks to consolidate its number one status in the aftermarket.
The 2013 European Car and Light Van range features five battery types – YBX1000, YBX3000, YBX5000, YBX7000 Start Stop (EFB enhanced flooded battery) and YBX9000 Start Stop Plus (AGM absorbed glass mat). The new numerical delineation is designed to make the range more appealing in pan-European markets and the company has also refreshed the Yuasa brand image with a more dynamic and striking appearance.
James Hylton, Sales and Marketing Manager for Yuasa’s European Automotive Division, commented, “Our new automotive range is designed to meet the needs of the ever evolving modern car parc but is more than just a range of batteries and offers a complete battery solution for the aftermarket. The range itself is comprehensive encompassing micro hybrid vehicles – both Asian (Japanese JIS sized) and European (DIN sized) Start Stop plus AGM (6 SKUs) and Start Stop EFB (11 SKUs) types. We are first to the aftermarket with these Japanese size Start Stop EFB batteries offering six references. Also in the range is a comprehensive line-up of auxiliary and back up batteries with 12 references fitting such vehicles as Toyota Yaris, Auris & Prius, Lexus CT200h & IS300h, Mercedes E Class & S Class, Honda Insight, CRZ, Volvo DRIVe, BMW 7 series and many more.”
Supporting the product line itself is Yuasa’s brand new online fitting system and battery configuration tool – the “pièce de résistance” according to Hylton: “This allows workshops and retailers to ensure proper fitting of this comprehensive range of modern batteries and removes the possibility of incorrect specification batteries being fitted.”
He continued, “Fitters can simply enter the vehicle registration number online and the system provides battery type, capacity, location on vehicle, estimated fitting time and location of OBD socket. This is complemented by full OE level step-by-step fitting instructions that can also be printed out for convenience.”
“When the fitment is complete, the new battery can be registered to the vehicle’s ECU as well as clearing any fault codes using our handy Yuasa Yu-Fit battery configuration tool – all done in just a couple of minutes,” concluded Hylton.
Yuasa YBX automotive batteries also meet new EUROBAT labelling legislation directing that battery labels must accurately reflect a CCA (Cold Cranking Amp) and Ah (Ampere hour) rating. Now, for every reference, 100% of a supplier’s batteries must deliver the stated performance on the label within a 10% tolerance in a move designed to combat unscrupulous importers/manufacturers that persistently over-rate the label specification. In addition, there are now minimum font sizes requiring compliance.
The new range has also seen some rationalisation using terminal adaptor kits that have enabled Yuasa to remove five SKUs without reducing the vehicle parc coverage.
In addition to the new automotive batteries and online fitting system, Yuasa also offers a wide range of additional products and services including Yuasa chargers for consumers and workshops, the ProSpec semi-traction range of batteries, new point-of-sale materials and new promotional materials including Honda Yuasa Racing clothing and a brand new Yuasa website with QR code links on every battery. These resources are all complemented by Yuasa’s industry-leading paper catalogues/application guides for cars and light vans, commercial vehicles and motorcycles.
All YBX automotive batteries from Yuasa now feature Calcium/Calcium technology with the YBX3000 and YBX5000 also benefitting from a “Tip/Tilt Double Lid” that reduces water loss by 30% and passes the German VDA vehicle roll over test for acid leakage (VDA/TL82506/GS95001). The CV (commercial vehicle) range has also been increased from two to three categories with higher specifications and cyclic performance. The Yuasa product range also features auxiliary automotive, garden machinery, motorcycle, deep-cycle, industrial and lithium-ion batteries.
As would be expected from one of the world’s largest suppliers of Original Equipment (OE) batteries to the global automotive manufacturing industry, all aftermarket batteries carrying the Yuasa brand are manufactured to the same exacting standards as those supplied for OE use.
