Why spend the money on a lithium battery?

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.

By |2020-05-20T13:20:49-07:00September 5th, 2018||1 Comment

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  1. Victoria Addington December 12, 2022 at 9:59 pm - Reply

    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.

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