Why are batteries suddenly so expensive?

[Mtsoxfan]

Putting people out of work to benefit the majority rubs certain people the wrong way.
But I'm all about efficiency, simplicity. Too many hoops in life.

 

[ultrarunner]

I enjoy paying property taxes as much as the next guy, but if it wasn't property taxes, there would be another tax in it's place. I'm not sure what type of tax would be fair to all.

Some states seem to have every known tax such as California does and others such as Nevada no state income tax and Oregon no state sales tax.

I think everywhere has property but some charge very little and others charge a lot…

A new “Tax” is disposal or recycling paid at time of purchase… even lumber has a carve out tax.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Our property tax has gone up 20% or so over the last 4 years. People are pissed, but the politicians, or should I say most, are looking to fund broken systems without trying to fix first.
In CT we were paying $6k for 2000 sf home 3/4 acres. Other towns were charging $12k up to $18k for same home. In VT, everyone pays the same % regardless of zip code. At least in CT, when there was an increase, it was a small amount.

 

[Oaktree]

We bought a new F150 this summer and I figured out pretty quick that there is more battery drain on these new vehicles. I assume it's awake listening to remote commands. We don't drive the truck that much because it's more economical to drive the car. I suspect the truck would be dead after 3 weeks so I connected a battery maintainer to it. My old F350 has batteries that are over 10 years old. I guess the battery maintainer connected to it has paid off.

I don't know if I'd call it parasitic drain, but yes, anything made in the last 30+ years has some drain even when not running and you need to keep it on a maintainer if it's not driven regularly.
That having been said, I don't recall getting any longer battery life 50 years ago than I do now. Yeah, my tractor battery is at least 10 years old, but I never got that kind of battery life on a car/truck...ever.

 

[DarkBlack]

more battery drain on these new vehicles. I assume it's awake listening to remote commands.

Correct, plus the clock, and a big one is the emissions evap system, which runs in the middle of the night setting vacuum then sensing fuel tank temperature and negative pressure decay. Those sensors use electric power, as well as the cpu , which is recording and analyzing the data

 

[Sodo]

Monopolization has an effect. The few companies that manufacture batteries collude and keep raising the price.

Look at the cost of lead.

If $12 of y2003 lead (plus a little acid & plastic) could produce a $72 battery that's 6X.
6X $12 = $72 in 2003
6X $48 = $300 in 2025

If this is a true representation,
it could be said that we have been getting "a deal" since 2008.

No wonder they want the lead back sooner!
They get to do it again with cheaper lead.

Note that the cells short out when "the stuff" on the bottom piles up and short out the cell.
Longer-lasting batteries ( such as OEM spec'd ) are built with more space for sediment.
No way to vacuum the bottoms out,
and you can't tip it over because the sediment will lodge between the plates
reducing battery performance.

How about a "Group51R battery bucket" where you:

- cut the battery bottom off (catching the acid),
- remove the sediment thats shorting the plates,
- epoxy the bottom back on,
- drop the battery into the "new bucket"
- epoxy around the top too, above acid level
- put the acid back in, top up as necessary
- recharge

 

[Shawn T. W.]

This was for my RAM 1500 ...

View attachment 4517468

Just checked the price now, went up $10, core still the same $22 as 10 months ago.

 

[Gregster613]

Not reading all 22 pages! But, just last week I went out to start my Ram HO Cummins. Nothing! Put a tester on and checked both batteries and both showed bad. I just changed them last Sept. Put AutoZone supposedly top of the line for about $250 each. Couldn't find my receipt so I called AutoZone. Luckily they said I have a rewards account and they looked up the purchase. Manager wasn't too happy when I brought them in, but gave me two new ones.
The issue to me is not really the price, but the cheap junk you get. I have a Yellowtop that powers the accessories in a Mercedes I have. Even that battery that cost me something like $300 didn't last. Luckily again, the warranty covered. They charge a fortune for the batteries because they know they will be giving away free ones since they don't last.

Yeah you definitely got bad batteries from the get-go if they're dead in 3 months!! Keep an eye on the replacements also - probably from the same batch and weak also!

 

[Shawn T. W.]

In VT, everyone pays the same % regardless of zip code

Wasn't that way when I lived there, moved out in 2007 ... And this also doesn't agree with that Lamoille County Vermont Property Taxes - 2025

I know @dnw64 currently lives in Vermont ... What's the story?

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Wasn't that way when I lived there, moved out in 2007 ... And this also doesn't agree with that Lamoille County Vermont Property Taxes - 2025

I know @dnw64 currently lives in Vermont ... What's the story?

Unless its a second home/non resident. I'll have to check on that link you gave.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

My bad, I'm talking about the education tax, which is the majority of my tax bill. Each town sets there own rate in addition to. Thanks.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Yup the state school tax, is part of the property tax, but the local town and county also taxes for roads, fire/police, maybe a hospital and other stuff ...

 

[fustsgt]

This is why I dropped Statistics . . .

I forget who gat credit for "there are liars, , da## liars, and Statisticians

 

[CH4Ohio]

I forget who gat credit for "there are liars, , da## liars, and Statisticians

What I recall from the first day of STAT 101 is:

“Figures lie and liars figure.”

 

[rontaki]

I forget who gat credit for "there are liars, , da## liars, and Statisticians

Before you use a statisic, be sure to wash the off it!

 

[dnw64]

Wasn't that way when I lived there, moved out in 2007 ... And this also doesn't agree with that Lamoille County Vermont Property Taxes - 2025

I know @dnw64 currently lives in Vermont ... What's the story?

Not the same everywhere.
From https://education.vermont.gov/data-and-reporting/financial-reports/vermont-education-tax-rates

Step 5: Education spending per weighted pupil is divided by the property yield to determine a district’s equalized tax rate.​

• The property yield is the amount $1.00 of tax will raise per pupil statewide.
  • The FY2025 yield is $9,893.
  • An easier way to think of it is: if a district spends $9,893 per weighted pupil, its tax rate will be $1.00.
  • If a district spends 10% more than the yield per pupil, its rate will be 10% higher, or $1.10; 20% higher gives a rate of $1.20, etc.
• The equalized tax rate is the rate as if all properties were listed at fair market value.

 

[Oaktree]

Wasn't that way when I lived there, moved out in 2007 ... And this also doesn't agree with that Lamoille County Vermont Property Taxes - 2025

I know @dnw64 currently lives in Vermont ... What's the story?

Unless its a second home/non resident. I'll have to check on that link you gave.

Vermont's tax structure is needleslly confusing. A primary residence is taxed differently than a second home, or even a woodlot. Seems bassackwards...you use a lot more town services at your residence than at a piece of property that isn't, but the tax rate is lower. I guess the assumption is that if you own property you don't live on, you must be "rich" and deserve to pay a higher rate.

Don't even get me started on their state income tax, especially for non-residents. I live in N.H., but when I was still working some of my income came from Vt. and was subject to their income tax (only that income earned in Vt). You'd think you'd be able to calculate it from W2s or 1099s from Vt. business only, but no, it's derived from your federal income tax...in my case a joint return, my wife earns nothing in Vt. Calculating % of business deductions is a nightmare. Unfortunately, tax software is of no help since Vt. doesn't allow e-filing from non-residents, and there doesn't seem to be an easy way to contact their tax bureau.
Don't remember it being that complicated when I lived in southern N.H. and worked in Mass., but that was a long time ago.

Not sure what any of this has to do with batteries though...

 

[CliffordK]

I have also noticed that it is hard to find a basic $50 car battery. And, what happened to those lifetime warranties? Surely if I had bought a good Sears Diehard battery with a lifetime warranty as a teenager, I could have made good use of it.... well, until Sears vanished.

I thought I'd look up the price of Lead and Copper.

Global price of Lead

Graph and download economic data for Global price of Lead (PLEADUSDM) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about lead, metals, World, and price.

fred.stlouisfed.org

Producer Price Index by Commodity: Metals and Metal Products: Copper and Brass Mill Shapes

Graph and download economic data for Producer Price Index by Commodity: Metals and Metal Products: Copper and Brass Mill Shapes (WPU102502) from Dec 1953 to Sep 2025 about copper, mills, metals, commodities, PPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

fred.stlouisfed.org

The price of Lead bounced up significantly from 2003 to 2007 (Mid to late Bush era). It has then bounced around some, but has remained more or less constant since then.

The price of Copper apparently also rose during the Bush era, went flatish, then started rising again in 2020.

Anyway, inflation in the raw products to make car batteries, especially 20 years ago, as well as general inflation over the years has impacted the battery prices.

 

[CliffordK]

This price increase seems to have impacted flooded lead batteries more than AGM batteries. It is one of the reasons I will choose Odyssey batteries if I can find them. A bit more expensive than the flooded batteries, but they're good batteries.

 

[BleedingOrange]

The battery in my BX2370 is 10 years old. Just for fun, I priced out what I believe was a replacement group 27 battery, and it was less than 70 dollars at Wal-mart in the USA. That is less than I have paid for some small lawnmower batteries in the past.