In our ever-changing world, lead-acid batteries are losing ground to lithium batteries, and for good reason. Lithium batteries are not only way more versatile; used in applications like marine, RV, material handling, and golf, but also offer a shorter charge time and a more efficient state of charge. Lithium allows you to keep going worry-free.
When purchasing a battery-powered device, it is understandable to not be 100 percent sure of the ins and outs of what sort of battery you’ll need. It can be confusing to know what you are looking for in terms of the battery or understand the differences between lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries. However, lithium-ion options are going to be more efficient and worth your while.
Over time, you may become dissatisfied with the performance or operational time of the lead-acid battery and may even need to request warranty replacements later. This process can become a headache, and often can become frustrating as your applications still need power. Your everyday life and business should not stop because a lead-acid battery weakens.
Here are some of the most common reasons you may experience dissatisfaction with a lead-acid battery, and why lithium is a better choice in every department.
- Lengthy Charge Time
- Not Holding A Charge Long Enough
- Losing Power Halfway Through Discharge
Lengthy Charge Time
Lead-acid batteries must be charged slowly in stages to maximize battery life and performance. Since a lead acid battery’s internal resistance becomes higher the deeper it is discharged, a charging algorithm is designed to slowly charge the battery at lower voltage levels. Unfortunately, this slow process means you have a long wait before the product is ready to use again.
Lithium batteries, by contrast, use a constant current algorithm, due to their high efficiency and low internal resistance. That means you can charge at a much higher rate. In turn, this reduces downtime and increases operational time. You can expect to continue your battery use for longer periods.
Not Holding A Charge Long Enough
A product’s operational time – the length of time it may be used between battery charging – has a significant impact on customer satisfaction. If the lead-acid battery in a golf cart doesn’t last long enough to make it through a round without additional charging, for example, you’re not getting enough value out of your battery and you’re missing out.
A similar problem arises when devices are not used frequently enough and lead-acid batteries self-discharge to a point where performance is diminished. This sends the money that you’ve spent on your lead-acid battery to waste. Lithium batteries are often a better alternative in this regard, in that they require far less frequent charging than lead-acid batteries. This feature of lithium prevents any loss of usage and ensures that you have the best performance in any application.
Losing Power Halfway Through Discharge
As a lead acid battery discharges, it becomes weaker and weaker, and that’s a major problem for people who need consistent power for their golf cart, electric boat, commercial equipment, or floor machine. The fact that the battery still holds a charge isn’t much consolation if the voltage is too weak to power the product and leaves you stranded.
Unlike lead acid, lithium-ion batteries offer sustained voltage throughout the discharge curve. Providing a consistent power level is important to ensure you’re getting the most out of your battery investment.
When you expect consistent power and longer operational time from your battery, a traditional lead acid battery is likely to disappoint. With commercial equipment applications especially, it is imperative that battery power not interfere with an operator's task. A lithium-ion deep cycle battery, with its lighter weight, smaller size, and longer cycle life, is a better choice to keep you reliably powered.
Lithium-ion batteries are the best, most efficient choice for your RV, golf cart, marine application, floor machine, and more. To learn more about how to calculate your energy needs and find the optimal battery for your application and usage, visit our Lithium Battery Selector Tool. Are you ready to make the switch? RELiON has the largest range of 12V, 24V & 48V lithium-ion batteries for you. Contact us here at RELiON for more information on our lithium-ion products.