09 July 2024

The Autohouse Group partners with CTEK for battery maintenance

Case Study | Battery Charging

The Autohouse Group are a family-owned and operated business in Queensland, driven by a passion for all things automotive. This love has promoted the development of a three pronged business strategy that encompasses car storage, retailing of car accessories and motorsport.  

Everyone on the team is an automotive enthusiast and the business thrives on exceptional customer service. Using their vast industry experience, the team are able to provide all of the necessary conditions, service and advice that drivers and riders need, to ensure their vehicle is in optimal condition ahead of its next trip out.  

Amongst all the maintenance processes the team at Autohouse Group undertake, one critical factor is keeping every car on a battery charger and maintainer. Alongside over 170 units of CTEK MXS5.0 and MXS3.8 chargers already engaged at their facility, the team have also been utilising the CS ONE – a revolutionary and powerful new battery charger and maintainer with cutting-edge APTOTM (Adaptive Charging) technology developed by CTEK, a leading global brand in vehicle charging solutions. 

 

Why CTEK? 

With millions of dollars of 4x4s, classic collectables, race cars and motorbikes, the risk of fire is a huge consideration for the Autohouse Group and one of the deciding reasons that CTEK was chosen for their battery maintenance needs. CTEK chargers are class-leading, spark proof, reverse polarity protected and electronically safe, dramatically reducing the chances of a fire, a costly insurance bill and the protection of irreplaceable automotive gems.  

CTEK is also renowned for reliability, which was another reason why Autohouse Group owner, Lachlan Harburg, invited them onboard. “CTEK battery chargers are famous the world over for their performance and reliability. The company manufactures branded chargers for over 50 of the world’s biggest and most prestigious car manufacturers. I have never had a unit fail and appreciate that CTEK are a company that is solely focused on battery charging. This allows them to obsess about the functionality and reliability of their products, something that sets them apart from their competitors,” Harburg stated. 

 

Charging and Reconditioning with the CS ONE  

“With the CS ONE, CTEK has taken the ‘Set and forget’ concept to a whole new level. The brand is really pioneering in this space and getting out there with this technology,” he explains.  

There’s a long list of highlight vehicle models who call Autohouse Group home. Everything from a Ferrari F40 and Lamborghini Aventador, to the more bread and butter models like a Toyota Hilux or Suzuki Swift. Often, around 30-40 battery chargers need to be set and replaced across a combination of lithium, AGM and lead acid batteries everyday.  

“For us, it’s been especially useful when we don’t know what type of battery a car is carrying – we just chuck the CS ONE on and we know its going to be taken care of. Some cars are equipped with lithium batteries and some are AGM – it’s not always immediately clear, even to experts like us, as it may be covered up by a bracket or concealed behind the interior trim. We got a McLaren 570S in our facility and there is nothing overtly on the battery that says it’s a lithium battery. Of course we know this because we have that technical knowledge, but to the average person, this is not going to be apparent and it may put the battery’s health at risk if charged incorrectly.” 

The CS ONE automatically figures out what it is charging and delivers a customised charging program, applying the correct voltage. “It is literally idiot proof and when you’re dealing with the technical complexity that we’re facing with the sheer variety of cars, bikes and jet skis we look after, that goes a long way to improving the operational aspects of our business, which in turn enhances the experience of our valued customers. It’s also one less thing for us to think about, completely taking out the element of risk.”  

You don’t have to press any buttons or change any modes. You don’t even need to differentiate between red and blue terminals. Being polarity free is huge!”  

“Though perhaps not a charger that we would carry hundreds of units of in our facility, the CS ONE is the CTEK product that we would be telling our customers to get their hands on when they leave us to make sure they can take care of their vehicle’s batteries at home”, ended Harburg.  

 

Delivering excellence  

“When you attach a CTEK charger, not only do you ensure the batteries are charged, you maintain their long-term performance. We’re making sure that each vehicle leaves here better than it arrived. It’s this level of detail that makes us great at what we do and keeps our customers satisfied and our network of motoring enthusiasts thriving.”  

 

The CTEK CS ONE features: 

  • Super Smart and Super Simple: no buttons to press or modes to select – simply connect CS ONE to any 12V lead-acid or lithium (LiFePO4) battery and just leave it to do its work. 

  • Adaptive Charging Technology (APTO): automatically works out what type and size of battery you’ve got and what it needs, then delivers a customised charging program with the most appropriate charge for your battery. More on APTO below.  

  • Polarity Free Clamps: just put one clamp on each charging point and the CS ONE will automatically work out which is the positive and which is the negative terminal.  

  • Bad cell detection: The CS ONE can tell if your battery can’t be charged – and will notify you.  

  • Easy to understand display: countdown indicator shows when you can restart your battery and how long to go till fully charged. 

  • Additional functions: unlock additional programs / functions by connecting the CS ONE to the free to download CTEK App: 

  • RECOND mode restores battery life and reconditions flat or deeply discharged batteries 

  • WAKE UP lithium batteries with under voltage protection (UVP) or to bring deeply discharged lead-acid batteries (as low as 0V) back to life 

  • SUPPLY’ mode turns CS ONE into a 12V power supply to keep vehicle settings safe if you need to remove the battery 

  • Advanced settings to monitor volts and amps being delivered by the charger  

  • Adjust charger LED brightness  

  • Accessories: new-look u-terminal connector for easier access to the battery, protective rubber bumper, wall-mount and adaptor for compatibility with all existing CTEK accessories