07/13/2024
What are the top reasons to upgrade your RV or Boat battery system to a Lithionics Lithium-ion Battery System?
Here at Pinnacle Innovations and https://www.getlithium.com we have only been dealing with the industry leader in safety and performance lithium-ion batteries for the past 12 years. We have still not found a lithium-ion battery that exceeds the Lithionics Battery brand.
Whether you own a Boat, RV or have an off-grid holiday cabin, you will definitely see a huge increase in battery system performance and safety by upgrading your lead-acid or AGM type of battery system to an industry leading Lithionics Battery Lithionics Lithium-ion Battery System. Although the initial cost to purchase these lithium-ion batteries is higher than conventional batteries they can represent a “lower overall cost of battery ownership over time” – plus you will get all of the performance and safety advantages.
In this article I will outline the main advantages that the Lithionics lithium-ion batteries have over lead-acid and AGM batteries.
#1) Clean Voltage:
Lithionics lithium ion batteries start at 12.8 Volts (nominal voltage is usually 13.6 Volts) and continue at that voltage with virtually NO VOLTAGE SAG until the very end of the discharge cycle. As a result power features such as power windows, power door locks and electric relays operate faster and smoother. ALL ELECTRONICS, including Starters and Alternators will DOUBLE THEIR LIFE-SPAN. The Lithionics Battery will always be above 12 Volts – even when discharged fully to the maximum safe level of 90% discharged.
Lead Acid batteries start at 12 Volts and suffer "Voltage Sag" to 11V, then 10V, then lower. This puts a terrible strain on Electronics by feeding them "Brown" Voltage.
#2) Light Weight:
Our lithium ion batteries typically weigh just 20% to 25% of the weight for a comparable usable capacity of lead acid batteries. A lighter battery is ALWAYS better and in the case of many RV’s, they can be close to the licensed gross weight so when we reduce the battery weight this means greater payload capacity.
For most applications that we are replacing AGM or lead-acid batteries, the comparable Lithionics lithium ion battery system will in most cases weigh just 25% and take up just 25% of the amount of space. In some cases, the Lithionics system weighs just 10% that of the lead-acid battery system it replaces and takes up far less space.
A typical 100 Amp hour Group 31 lead acid or AGM battery weighs 55 to 70 lbs. Of this it will only have 50 Amp hours usable capacity. The comparable Lithionics battery has 130 Amp hours total of which 117 Amp hours are usable and it weighs just 33.4 pounds.
#3) Long Life**:
Our lithium ion batteries typically have a 10 YEAR SERVICE LIFE and a 20 YEAR WORKING LIFE. What this means that one of our batteries equipped with our NeverDie Protection System can last 10 years or more.
Our lithium ion batteries last 2,300 to 3,000 charge cycles at 80% to 90% Depth of Discharge and 5,800 cycles at 50% Depth of Discharge. At the end of these cycles the battery still works fine and can last many more years but it may have lost up to 20% of the original capacity. See the Lithionics Battery Cycle Life Chart graphic attached to this article.
Lithium ion does not sulfate which means that a fully discharged lithium ion battery can sit for a year with no harm to the battery. Have the peace of mind by eliminating a potential failure in your RV vehicle or Boat for many years.
A typical lead acid battery has 200 to 300 charge cycles before the battery begins to lose charge efficiency, voltage and capacity. When this happens, the battery becomes weaker and weaker and typically needs to be replaced. Also, if a lead acid battery is not used it may "sulfate" and need to be replaced much sooner. AGM batteries are somewhat better than lead-acid but still may only offer 500 cycles.
#4) Reliable:
Lithionics lithium ion batteries only lose less than 1% per month from self-discharge during storage. A lead acid battery loses up to 15% per month. Thus, our lithium ion battery can sit for over 1 year with over 75% of its energy stored and ready to power your loads or start your engine.
Since many vehicles have what is called a "Parasitic Drain", with our optional NeverDie BMS System if your vehicle needs to be stored for several months at a time before uses, you can quickly and easily turn off the lithium battery with its single pushbutton.
Many things can cause early death to a lead acid battery which can leave you stranded at inconvenient times. High temperatures and storage (as little as 90 days) are among the most common reasons for lead acid battery premature death.
#5) Never Dies - With NeverDie BMS Technology
With our Patented "NeverDie Technology", if an accessory such as an internal light or the headlights were left on, your battery will enter "Sleep Mode" and retain enough of the battery's energy for emergency power or engine starts (10%). Simply push the button on the battery and the battery "wakes up" and is ready to start the engine.
Our proprietary Mosfet bridge circuitry prevents over-discharging the battery and as a result, no harm is done to the battery. The result is that you will never be left stranded or in need of a jump start.
Human error, such as leaving a light on, can drain a lead acid battery, leaving you stranded. This also harms the lead acid battery and shortens its life.
#6) No Maintenance:
Our lithium ion batteries save you time. Completely sealed with no water levels to check and fill. In fact, our batteries contain no water that needs to be maintained whatsoever, so there are no water levels to "babysit".
Our batteries use super high quality brass terminals with stainless steel hardware that reduce corrosion at terminal posts which means no work and no mess.
The water levels in lead acid batteries constantly need to be checked and filled. Also, the lead terminals are continuously corroding and need to be cleaned. When these maintenance procedures are not followed, the battery may fail at any time.
#7) Superior Efficiency and Environmentally Friendly Battery:
Have the satisfaction of knowing that with a Lithionics Battery, you have contributed to a healthier environment. Our batteries are an Environmentally Friendly, Green Battery that are RoHS compliant.
In the USA alone, nearly 99 million lead acid car batteries are produced each year. A typical lead acid battery contains about 18 lbs. of lead. Lead is a known poison that is harmful to the environment.
Solar Power:
Our lithium ion batteries are the perfect choice for all Solar Power battery applications. Our lithium ion batteries are 97% efficient round-trip Versus lead acid batteries that are only 55% to 85%efficient. This means you harvest much more Solar Power with our Lithionics Lithium ion Batteries.
Example: If we have two exact same solar panel/ MPPT solar charge controller systems – one with a Lithionics battery and one with an AGM or lead-acid battery with the same usable Amp hour capacity, for each hour of sunshine the Lithionics battery will capture 97% of the sun’s energy whereas the other battery may only receive a little more than half of the available solar power. This means that with the Lithionics lithium-ion batteries you will recharge your battery system much faster than with lead-acid or AGM batteries.
8. Safety Leader:
Safety has always been priority number 1 at Lithionics and this why they only invest in the highest quality A Grade lithium battery cells and have the best designed, easiest to use and most reliable Battery Management System (BMS) that we call NeverDie. For example, if a short circuit appears in your system, the BMS will automatically shut off the battery power at the terminals in milliseconds. With conventional batteries they will continue powering the short circuit which could lead to burnt wires and a fire.
The Lithionics NeverDie BMS features a microprocessor on every cell of the battery (24 Volt batteries have 2, 51 Volt batteries have 4) that is constantly measuring current, temperature, Voltage and other factors and reporting it the “Master BMS”. We call the microprocessors the “MiniBMS”. So as soon as any anomaly appears the BMS instantly shuts off the power until the problem disappears or is corrected. The BMS also actively controls charging and discharging for safety and performance as well as a number of other important functions.
To learn all about the safety features of the Lithionics BMS, visit the NeverDie BMS page on our website at https://www.getlithium.com/22_Lithionics_Battery_Management_Systems.html.
Also, as the Lithionics batteries do not emit any dangerous gasses or fumes, not only are they far safer than conventional batteries but we can mount them inside living quarters – where it is easier to control temperatures.
Lead-acid and AGM batteries can generate dangerous and explosive hydrogen gasses – especially during charging. In fact, I met a Client at one of the Anuual BC Boat Shows that we exhibited at in BC Place. This fellow was a boat owner and he was telling me that his marine mechanic had actually suffered the loss of sight in one of his eyes when a lead-acid battery that he was working on suddenly exploded from the hydrogen gasses and a spark when he removed a terminal wire.
If you’d like us to do a no pressure evaluation of your system we’d be happy to do so. We will look at everything that connects to the battery system so that we are certain to offer you exactly what is needed. Feel free to visit our website at https://www.getlithium.com where you can find out more including the pricing of the Lithionics systems and you can Contact Us by phone or email on our Contact Us page at: https://www.getlithium.com/12-Contact-Us.html