There are several differences between lithium batteries and AGM. See below for a brief explanation:
Benefits of lithium batteries:
- Lithium batteries offer up to 8x more charge/discharge cycles than AGM & GEL batteries
- Lithium batteries are 1/2 the weight of AGM & GEL batteries
- You will need 3 AGM / GEL batteries to every 1 lithium battery if you follow the DoD % recommendation for AGM & GEL technologies
- Utilize the full rated amp capacity without harm to the battery
- Constant output voltage
- Extremely high number of charge/discharge cycles
- > 10 Year lifespan with proper maintenance
- No need to worry about depth of discharge
- Wide operating temperature range
- Unsurpassed high temperature performance
- Green energy without metal contaminant
- Low maintenance
- High amp capacity
- Stable output voltage
- Little self-discharge
- BMS safety protection
- Convenient removable carry handle
- Lightweight
- Sophisticated Battery Management System (BMS)
| 100 Ah Battery Comparison | AGM | GEL | Lithium |
| Average Price | $210 | $220 | $849 |
| # of cycles @ 30% depth of discharge (DoD) | 1200 | 1200 | 4000 |
| # of cycles @ 50% depth of discharge (DoD) | 500 | 500 | 4000 |
| Lifespan (depends on battery maintenance) | 2-3 years | 2-3 years | 9-10 years |
| Size | 13x9x7″ | 13x7x9″ | 13x7x9″ |
| Weight | 74 lb | 71 lb | 31 lb |
| Performance Example: | ||||||
| Let’s say you are powering a refrigerator that requires 10 amps and you use a DoD of 30% with a 100Ah rated AGM/GEL | 30 AH available capacity / 10 amp draw = 3 hours of usage | |||||
| Let’s say you are powering a refrigerator that requires 10 amps and you use a DoD of 50% with a 100Ah rated AGM/GEL | 50 AH available capacity / 10 amp draw = 5 hours of usage | |||||
| Using a lithium battery with no DoD recommendation | 100 AH available capacity / 10 amp draw = 10 hours of usage | |||||
**Depth of Discharge (DoD) is used to describe the % of the battery’s energy that has been discharged. For example, if the battery is charged 100%, its DoD is 0%. If the battery is 100% discharged, the DoD is 100%. If the battery’s DoD is 40%, it still has 60% of its energy. It is another way of stating the battery’s state of charge. GEL/AGM battery manufactures recommend a % of DoD to prolong overall battery life.
I was captivated when you mentioned that lithium batteries only require low maintenance. My friend told me that his RV needs a lightweight AGM battery. I should advise him to look for a vendor that offers a wide selection of AGM batteries.