That 40-pound car battery under your hood is generally rated in cold cranking amps — not amp-hours. It has a lot of energy but it is best at delivering that energy in small but high amperage bursts.
If you’re in a pinch and don’t have a marine or deep-cycle battery around, you might find yourself wondering just how many amps (amp hours) a car battery has to power something.
Small car batteries are around 40 amp-hours. Mid-sized batteries for larger cars and SUVs are around 50 amp-hours. Larger vehicles, such as trucks, can have batteries around 75 amp-hours.
Typically, car batteries are rated in CA or CCA (Cranking Amps, or Cold Cranking Amps) and not in AH (Amp Hours) like a deep cycle battery for powering appliances or electronics.
