One could argue the internal combustion engine is old technology as well. Nicolaus August Otto invented the first 4-cycle engine in 1861. Otto Cycle, the thermodynamic principle, on which all gasoline engines operate - even to this day - remain valid and unchanged. Has this "old technology" been steadily refined and improved upon, over three centuries? One would be retarded to argue otherwise.
While the good old lead acid battery couldn't quite match the glamour and level of sophistication achieved by the gasoline engine over the decades, it too has been tweaked and refined upon. AGM is but one such refinement.
However, just like any other technology, including the gasoline engine, an "improvement" would only be accepted by consumers, if it carries some tangible benefits. Otherwise, it would just be advertising fluff. So, does AGM have any tangible benefits? Or, is it just... fluff? Judging by the rather widespread adoption of AGM, it would be hard to argue it is all just advertising smoke and mirrors.
One only needs to look at the powersport world to know just how AGM has dominated that industry. Since I got back to riding in 2010, I have had no less than 20 motorcycles - all of them came with AGM batteries. Now, these are major powersport mfrs - not easily bamboozled general public - that spec/purchase these arguably more expensive batteries. Why? Simple. Those advantages I posted above in my post #7:
1. Higher power density. Unlike in cars and trucks, motorcycle have very limited spaces. Every cubic centimeter is precious. AGM allows mfrs to spec smaller form factor batteries into smaller spaces convention lead acid flooded types cannot fit in. That... is a major advantage.
2. Sealed case. That AGM can be mounted in any orientation further allows motorcycle mfrs to get creative with battery placement and optimize weight distribution. On a motorcycle, this is of utmost importance.
3. Gas recombination. With old flooded lead acid, there needs to be a vent and/or overflow tube that runs to the bottom of the bike. This restricts battery placement to where the tube routing can be feasible.
4. Shock/vibration resistance. On any ICE road vehicle, this is a constant problem a battery needs to content with. Some motorcycles are particularly susceptible to this. Next to heat, shock and vibration is the #2 destroyer of batteries. AGM offer another major advantage here.
On a car/truck, all these advantages are still very much relevant, albeit to varying degrees. Take gas recombination, for example. Since the battery is mounted in the same interior air space as the passenger cabin, Kia had to install a vent/overflow tube from the OEM battery through the trunk floor. This is due to a major safety concern, since allowing the highly combustible hydrogen gas generated in a open flooded cell lead acid batt to permeate the passenger cabin would be rather dangerous. AGM requires no such vent/overflow tube. Zero chance of such vent tube accidentally coming loose.
Power density can also be of sizable benefit, especially to those who live up in the frigid northern tundra. Pretty sure most folks understand that battery loses its efficacy in colder temp. This is why batteries always carry CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating. AGMs, due to its construction, are able to maintain its CCA better in extreme low ambient temps open-cell flooded types. Well, if you live in a warm climate, you might not care. That's understandable. However, there are a lot of northern folks who do.
I could go on, but the end of the day, all these benefits of AGM adds up to greater service life potential. That is what most consumer really care about most. I bought my first AGM back around 2012, for my 2009 Genesis 3.8 sedan. It was still on that car when I donated it some 9yrs later. I tested it with my battery load tester before it left, and it was still going strong and, who knows, probably might've lasted a few more yrs. Prior to that, I seldom had an automotive battery that lasted more than 4yrs. From most folks I've talked to, that is the general trend for old flooded cell lead acid batts.
Nobody is holding a gun to anybody's head to buy any particular type. We decide what we each prefer to get. For me, that's AGM for cars and LiFeSO4 for motorcycles... at least as of now.
www.batteriesplus.com
