Let’s get it started

In Product Profile, October 20225 MinutesBy NZ Trucking magazineNovember 10, 2022

Safe and easy-to-use battery jump-starters are essential to a transport operator’s toolbox. For heavy vehicles, jump-starters can often be huge, with a heavy weight to match. But the team at NOCO has released its most powerful lithium jump-starters yet.

The GB251 is a commercial- grade, portable jump-starter and can jump-start a dead battery in seconds, ensuring vehicles are safely back on the road as soon as possible.

Designed for the largest, most challenging engine starts with more than 3000A of starting power, the NOCO Boost Max lithium GB251 24V jump-starter works for most commercial vehicle types.

It works on petrol and diesel engines up to 32 litres, including trucks, motorhomes, coaches, buses, mining, agricultural, construction and vocational equipment – whether six, eight, 12 or 16 cylinder.

The GB251 is equipped with an integrated voltmeter to help pinpoint battery issues. The voltmeter doubles as a 60-second countdown timer, which shuts off the pack after 60 seconds to help preserve the internal battery charge.

The no-melt and smoke-free clamps are reinforced with all-metal construction versus generic all-plastic construction. It is designed to transfer maximum current flow with minimal power loss and has silicone insulation for heat stability and flexibility in cold weather applications. Compared with the generic battery clamps, NOCO battery clamps are designed with care to prevent injury.

NOCO’s lithium technology makes the GB251 24V jump-starter compact and lightweight, weighing just over 6kg.

It’s not just a lithium jump-starter either but also a portable power bank for recharging smartphones, tablets and other USB devices. With more than 242 watt-hours of lithium power, the GB251 can provide endless hours of operation and recharge devices multiple times before needing a recharge.

The GB251 is a useful tool for daily use and emergencies. It is equipped with a 600-lumen LED flashlight with various brightness modes, SOS and an emergency strobe – handy to have as a roadside tool.

NOCO jump-starters are available at NAPA Auto Parts. Contact your local team with the know-how to find the right jump-starter to suit your business on 0800 800 073 or visit napa.co.nz

A driving force in the automotive aftermarket

NAPA Auto Parts is one of New Zealand’s largest aftermarket parts suppliers, bringing together the strength and expertise of Ashdown-Ingram, Appco Automotive Supplies, Bindon’s and Sulco under one roof.

Twenty branches have been opened since June 2020 – the first branch was opened in New Plymouth in June 2020, with the latest opening in August in Pukekohe.

NAPA Pukekohe is in the old Autostop Pukekohe building at 150 Manukau Road. This was the final branch to come under the NAPA masthead from the heritage businesses.

Further growth is happening in the South Island with the successful NAPA Invercargill celebrating two years and moving to bigger premises to service a growing customer base. On 5 September, the doors opened at 106 Yarrow Street. The larger premises mean more stock is available on the shelves, and more than 5000 new stock items will be added across a number of product groups.

This is just one investment in the NAPA brand, alongside the recent Wiri GPC distribution centre. The new 29,000m2 centre can hold 140,000 product lines to support the 120-branch network of GPC’s Repco and NAPA retail brands and its Motion Industries New Zealand industrial-parts supply business.

“We’re just getting started…” says Tony Walker, GM of operations and sales at NAPA.

GB251 Features

• Spark-proof: Spark-proof technology and reverse polarity protection allows the GB251 to connect safely to any battery.

• 80X: Up to 80 jump-starts on a single charge.

• USB: Recharge personal devices on the go, such as smartphones and tablets.

• 10X LED: The GB251 has an ultra-bright 500-lumen LED flashlight with seven light models, including SOS and an emergency strobe.