Official UAE / GCC Distributor — Sterling Power UK
POWER YOUR ESCAPE.
NOT YOUR BATTERIES.
Your Euro 6 van already carries a 180–250A alternator under the bonnet — nearly 2kW of free power almost nobody uses. Sterling’s Battery-to-Battery charging systems put it to work, so the fridge, the induction hob and everything else run for days without a generator.
The Problem
Regen braking changed the rules under your bonnet.
To meet Euro 6 emissions targets, modern alternators charge hardest under braking and swing their output from around 17.5V down to 12.4V the rest of the time. The factory split-charge relay behind most second batteries is rated near 60A but delivers barely 30A in practice — and can’t make sense of a voltage that never sits still. Most of that 2kW goes to waste.
Alternator output across a typical regen-braking cycle
The Fix
A charger built for a moving target.
A Battery-to-Battery (B2B) charger sits between the starter battery and the house bank. It accepts the alternator’s full 11–18V swing and converts it into one clean, current-limited charge voltage — safe for lithium, and stable no matter what the alternator is doing.
How It Works
Three sources. One battery bank.
Every load covered.
Alternator, solar and shore power all feed the same monitored bank — which then runs every 12V and 240V circuit on the vehicle through one distribution panel.
Core Components
What’s actually in the box.
Every unit below is monitored from one shunt, wired so nothing touches the battery terminals directly except that shunt — which is what makes accurate amp-hour tracking possible in the first place.
B2B Charger
Converts the alternator’s 11–18V swing into a steady, current-limited charge voltage for the house bank.
Lithium Battery Bank
Delivers close to 100% of rated amp-hours, versus roughly 50% usable from lead-acid — and lasts 10–20 years.
Combi
A 2.5kW pure sine inverter, 80A charger and automatic 30A crossover switch in one enclosure — runs loads off-grid, recharges on shore power.
Power Management Panel
Reads the shunt to show amps in, amps out and amp-hours remaining, in real time.
Distribution Panel
One fused connection point for every 12V and 240V circuit on the vehicle — simple to trace, simple to extend.
Solar Panel & Regulator
Flexible, roof-mounted panels from ~80W to ~150W feed a regulator straight into the monitored bank.
Lithium vs. Lead-Acid
The difference isn’t a percentage. It’s a multiple.
| Lead-Acid | Lithium | |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | ~50% of rated Ah | ~100% of rated Ah |
| 300Ah bank delivers | ~150Ah usable | ~300Ah — ~6 lead-acid batteries’ worth |
| Typical lifespan | 1–2 years | 10–20 years |
| Weight | Heavy | A fraction of the weight |
| Portability | Fixed to one vehicle | Moves to the next vehicle |
Run Real Appliances
No gas. Just amp-hours.
With enough bank and a Combi sized to match, the fridge, induction hob, microwave and hairdryer all run off the same 240V ring main.
Why a 240V fridge?
In-house testing found no meaningful difference in energy use between a 240V fridge run through the inverter and a dedicated 12V fridge. The real difference was cost — roughly £80 for the 240V unit against £600 for an equivalent 12V compressor fridge. Add a simple child-lock on the door to stop it swinging open on the move. For induction, pick a lower-wattage hob (~1800W) with adjustable power-split between rings, so total draw stays predictable.
Sizing Your System
How much is enough?
- 01
Get as much power as possible from the alternator into the bank first — everything downstream is easier once that’s right.
- 02
A typical Euro 6 setup runs 3–4 lithium batteries with one or two B2B chargers, keeping 20–30% of alternator capacity in reserve.
- 03
Older vehicles with smaller alternators (around 90A) are far more limited — size expectations accordingly.
- 04
There’s no such thing as too much battery bank — only ever too little.
- 05
A well-sized system runs everyday loads for several days between charges, cutting the need for a serviced site with hookup.
Frequently Asked
Before you build.
Why not just add a second battery through the factory relay?+
Because that relay is only rated around 60A and typically delivers barely 30A in practice, and it can’t handle the alternator’s swinging voltage. It’s fine for a few small loads, but not a foundation for a fridge, hob or inverter.
How many B2B chargers do I actually need?+
It depends on your alternator’s rated output. A typical Euro 6 setup runs one or two units in parallel, always keeping 20–30% of alternator capacity in reserve so it isn’t overloaded.
Do I still need solar if I drive most days?+
Not strictly — the B2B charger and alternator can carry the bank on their own. Solar simply buys extra off-grid days on site, without needing to drive to top up.
Can I run the fridge and induction hob at once?+
Yes, as long as your Combi’s total output covers both. Choosing a lower-wattage induction hob (around 1800W) with adjustable power-split keeps the combined draw inside a 2.5kW inverter’s budget.
Ready When You Are
Let’s spec a system for your vehicle.
Sterling Middle East Trading LLC — official UAE/GCC distributor for Sterling Power UK.