CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2021 -- Being stranded in the cold with a dead battery is the last thing any driver wants, but dead batteries are a leading cause of breakdowns in winter months, say the battery experts at CTEK.

Cold temperatures require a battery to use up to twice the normal current to start the engine, an extreme demand that shortens battery life.

"A battery loses as much as 35% in performance when temperatures hit freezing, and up to 50% if temperatures sink below that," said Bobbie DuMelle, Executive Vice President of CTEK North America, the leading global brand in vehicle charging and battery management solutions.