Change to Lithium-ion?
In the Hot Rod world, there is a movement to the Lithium-ion battery as an alternative to the old lead-acid type. Looks like performance is superior, but so is the price. Has anyone changed eith...
Forum Discussion
Do they say why they are using them in the hot rod world? As just a starting battery, there isn't much to gain. Your average 50lb starting battery will do just fine starting most V8 engines and the alternator is really what is powering the lights and other auxiliary electrical devices.
In an RV house battery bank, there are some advantages but at a higher cost. Particularly if you are installing a large battery bank, the benefits can outweigh the downsides.
The main thing is KWH of storage per Pound and per Cubic Inch is greater with Lithium. That means with limited storage space and weight limits, you can either fit more KWH in the same space/weight or free up space/payload.
If you are at campgrounds with power most of the time, it really won't make much sense but if you are boondocking a lot away from shore power, it can be very helpful.
Not only can you store more KWH, when recharging from say a generator, they can absorb charge quickly right up to 100% charge. With lead-acid, at around 80-90%, the charge acceptance drops off and it takes a very long time to hit 100%...add in that lead-acid doesn't like to go below 50% charge (vs 10% for lithium) and you really can only use 30-40% of the rated KWH in a lead-acid battery bank...as opposed 80-90% of the rated KWH of a lithium bank.
But even so, Lithium is expensive and you need the proper charging/control systems as they are not as forgiving of the abuse that we put lead-acid thru.
In an RV house battery bank, there are some advantages but at a higher cost. Particularly if you are installing a large battery bank, the benefits can outweigh the downsides.
The main thing is KWH of storage per Pound and per Cubic Inch is greater with Lithium. That means with limited storage space and weight limits, you can either fit more KWH in the same space/weight or free up space/payload.
If you are at campgrounds with power most of the time, it really won't make much sense but if you are boondocking a lot away from shore power, it can be very helpful.
Not only can you store more KWH, when recharging from say a generator, they can absorb charge quickly right up to 100% charge. With lead-acid, at around 80-90%, the charge acceptance drops off and it takes a very long time to hit 100%...add in that lead-acid doesn't like to go below 50% charge (vs 10% for lithium) and you really can only use 30-40% of the rated KWH in a lead-acid battery bank...as opposed 80-90% of the rated KWH of a lithium bank.
But even so, Lithium is expensive and you need the proper charging/control systems as they are not as forgiving of the abuse that we put lead-acid thru.
