Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Battery Type Guide

What's The Difference?


Sealed lead acid batteries come in a few different varieties according to their application. Listed below are some of the common terms associated with these batteries, as well as some general information as to how to identify them.

The letter codes indicate common markings used by manufacturers to differentiate the various types of sealed lead batteries they produce.

General Purpose

GP     UB     GH     SLA

Up to 5 years in standby service or 260-330 cycles.

Common applications include UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems, security alarms, lanterns, toys and more.

General Premium

BP     EVX

Up to 8 years in standby or 400 cycles.

Common applications include that of the General Purpose variety, but offer longer life and more cycles before replacement is needed.

General Purpose Long Life

GPL     BPL

Up to 10 years in standby service (or 260-330 cycles).

Common applications include those of the General Purpose variety, especially those applications where changing the battery is difficult (sub-optimal charging conditions).

High Rate Discharge

HR     HC

Up to 5 years standby or 260-330 cycles.

Common applications include those that require a higher rate of current discharge (amps) for a shorter amount of time.

High Rate/Long Life

HRL     MPL

Up to 10 years in standby service or 260-300 cycles.

Common applications include high-output UPS power supplies and other consistently high-current devices.

High Cycle/Long Life

EP

Up to 12 years of standby or 500-600 Cycles.

Common applications include scooters, electric vehicles, lawn mowers and other mobility devices.

High Rate/High Cycle/Long Life

EVP     EB

350-450 cycles or up to 10 years in standby service.

Common applications include mobility devices that may require a higher rate of current draw (amps) initially as required by the maker.

Super High Rate

SHR

Developed to satisfy the increasing demand on high rate/super high rate discharging in recent UPS market. It demonstrates a cost-effective design and professional technique on production.

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