The people who tout the "blame the accessories" idea should visit my place and spend a little time talking to my garden- - - - -it would save me a fortune in fertilizer! A battery does two things- - - -crank the engine and power the fuel pump and the ignition system for a few seconds until the alternator kicks in. After that, the battery is nothing but a shock absorber- - - -the alternator is carrying the load of running the vehicle, powering all those accessories, and using whatever capacity it has left over to replenish the surge current the battery lost on startup. Battery manufacturers are simply doing what every other maker of automobiles, appliances, computers, and even houses are doing- - - -providing the bare minumum they can get away with for the shortest period of time their customers will tolerate, and charging whatever the market will bear for the least possible return.
Jerry
