Do I need a battery charger?

[washingitagain]

This year we bought a second car. With the kids at various activities often at conflicting times at weekends we got sick of keep asking for lifts from friends. The thing is, other than weekends, 'my' car doesn't really move as I commute by train.

So a typical week for my car is a short to/from drive midweek (3 miles each way) and then probably 20-30 miles over the weekend. It gets the occasional longer run such as a 2 x 90 mile trip we just did but that's rare.

So, my questing is, do I need a battery charger (e.g. a Ctek 5) or is this low usage enough to keep my battery working OK? Would occasional long runs like we just did keep it 'topped up'? The car is a 2.0l petrol A-Class Mercedes (2016). It's the original battery as I've owned since new.

I'm not keen on wasting money but I don't want to get stranded somewhere either...

[RizzoTheRat]

I'd have thought your 20-30 miles at a weekend should be fine. I'm using mine so rarely now that it can go several weeks without being used and not had a problem starting it, but for peace of mind I got a solar powered trickle charge that sits on the dash and plugs in to the ODB port.

[Spare tyre]

I’d invest in a bigger amp hour battery (if yours becomes a problem) and some jump leads as a backup

My mums car rarely moves and isn’t a problem

[thebraketester]

No

[anonymous-user]

A few minutes a week is enough.

[washingitagain]

Thanks all.

So glad I asked as stuff you read online (mainly from battery companies) suggests my usage pattern is bad for battery health and longevity.

[anonymous-user]

If you have any doubts / concerns, buy a £14 charger from Aldi / Lidl - they come up often, and do exactly the same as expensive Ctek chargers.

Charging lead acid batteries is formulaic and simple.