Cochin Battery House

Cochin Battery House is a small shop over in Fort Cochin. Most people come to this part of town to see the old buildings and the fishing nets, but we are here for the batteries. It’s a bit of a contrast. Inside our shop, it’s mostly stacks of heavy black boxes and the smell of lead and terminal grease. We have been in this spot for a long time, and the walls have soaked up all sorts of smells over the years. It’s not a clean or shiny place. There are usually a couple of old batteries sitting on the floor waiting to be recycled or charged up. We spend our days testing voltages and cleaning off corrosion with wire brushes. Our hands are usually stained with something that doesn’t quite wash off by the end of the day. Local auto-rickshaw drivers and bike owners are our main visitors. They usually come in looking a bit worried because their vehicle won't start, and we do what we can to help them out. We don't have a website or a big sign with flashing lights. People just know we are here because we’ve always been here. Fort Cochin is a nice place to work, even if our shop is just a dusty room full of power cells. It’s a slow-paced life until someone’s car breaks down nearby and they come running in. We like it that way.