With lithium batteries quickly becoming the go-to in 4WD and off grid touring setups, we’re taking a closer look at why they’re well worth the investment. When comparing lithium to the likes of AGM and lead acid batteries, the benefits quickly start to stack up.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SECONDARY BATTERY?
When choosing your secondary battery, you need to think about balance. A battery that’s too small for your setup will quickly run out of power but a battery too big will need more space to install and a charging system big enough to keep up.
You’ll then need to choose a battery chemistry. Different battery chemistries all have different performance, weight and lifespan. Lead acid batteries are a popular choice as they’re affordable, reliable and can take the heat of an engine bay. On the downside, they’re heavy, have shorter lifespans and less usable capacity.
HOW MUCH POWER DO YOU NEED?
To work out how much power you actually need, we’ll start with one of the most common appliances, a 12V fridge. When it first turns on, it will pull about 5 amps. But once the fridge cools down it’ll cycle on and off, only running for about 20 minutes per hour. This can be impacted by the type of fridge, the number of times it’s opened, ambient temperature, and the fridge setting. On average, a fridge will draw 2A, or roughly 48Ah over a 24hr period.
Using this as a guide, a 100Ah lead acid battery will run your fridge for a day while a 100Ah lithium battery will run it for 2 days or more without any recharging.
A LOOK AT LITHIUM BATTERIES
When looking at lithium batteries versus their AGM or lead acid counterparts, there are three major benefits of choosing lithium:
- Capacity
- Lifespan
- Weight
CAPACITY
The first major benefit of lithium batteries is the usable battery capacity. A quality lithium battery is often able to be discharged much lower than an AGM or lead acid battery, meaning they often have 100% usable capacity without impacting the battery’s lifespan. Comparatively, AGM and lead acid batteries are not recommended to be discharged past 50%.
This means that when you’re choosing a lithium battery, the amp hour rating on the box translates to the usable capacity. So, a 100Ah lithium battery provides 100Ah of usable power whereas a 100Ah AGM battery only provides 50Ah of usable capacity.
LIFESPAN
The second major benefit of lithium batteries is the lifespan. Lithium batteries tend to have a longer lifespan than AGM or lead acid batteries. Generally, AGM or lead acid batteries are normally rated at around 500 charge cycles down to 50% SoC (state of charge). With lithium, you’re often getting more than 4 times this lifespan as they’re normally rated at around 2000 charge cycles and above.
WEIGHT
The third major benefit of lithium batteries is their weight. Lithium batteries are considerably lighter than a similar sized AGM or lead acid battery. When you’re hitting the road, it’s common for vehicles and caravans or trailers to be overloaded with the essentials including luggage, accessories, people and pets, so cutting down on battery weight is often a good thing. Choosing a lighter battery can also be important if you’ve got multiple secondary batteries in your setup.
WHY CHOOSE REDARC’S LITHIUM BATTERIES?
Built for life off the beaten path, REDARC’s Lithium Adventure Batteries (REDLAB) provide unmatched power, durability and safety. Available in 100Ah, 200Ah and 300Ah capacities, there’s a size to suit every setup from the weekend getaway to the long term tourer.
The REDLAB Icon range feature 100% usable capacity, ultra-high charge/discharge rates and can support powerful inverters and chargers. This means you need less battery to power your devices; they deliver serious grunt without the bulk.
With a lifespan of over 6000 cycles, the REDLAB Icon range is designed to outlast the outback and has been engineered to survive in the toughest terrain. An IP67 water and dust protection rating plus vibration resistance means that the REDLAB batteries can thrive in heat, dust and corrugations.
They also feature cutting-edge safety features and the latest standards certifications. Alongside a built-in isolation switch, these features mean they’re safe to install, transport and are ready for off-grid travel.
Learn more about the REDARC range of REDLAB Lithium Adventure batteries here or checkout the video below.
With lithium batteries quickly becoming the new norm in 4WD and off grid setups, we take a closer look at why they're well worth the investment.
A look at Lithium batteries
Comparing Lithium to the likes of AGM and lead acid batteries, the benefits quickly start to stack up. The full Amp Hour capacity of a quality lithium battery can be used without effecting the life span of the battery, whereas with an AGM or lead acid, it is recommended that you don’t discharge below 50%.
This means that a lithium battery rated at 100 amp-hours is closely comparable to 200 amp-hours of AGM or lead acid batteries in terms of usable power.
Lithium batteries also maintain a higher output voltage during the discharge cycle and maintain a voltage of approximately 13V at 20% SoC. AGM/lead acid batteries tend to have a much steeper discharge curve with an output voltage of around 12.0 – 12.2V at 50% SoC.
With a battery that maintains a higher output voltage, running your accessories, camp lights or fridges ensures they run more efficiently and with a longer run time.
Lifespan of Lithium batteries compared to AGM or Lead Acid batteries?
Lithium batteries have a longer lifespan than AGM or lead acid batteries, which are normally rated at around 500 charge cycles down to 50% SOC. With lithium, you are getting 4 times this lifespan as they’re normally rated at around 2000 charge cycles.
Lithium batteries also charge significantly faster and can safely handle being paired with a larger battery charger than an AGM/lead acid battery. For example, a 100Ah lithium battery when paired with the REDARC BCDC1250D Classic under bonnet battery charger will charge from 20% to approximately 100% in 2-3 hours. This opens a whole new world of free camping opportunities.
Another major benefit of lithium is that they are considerably lighter than a similar sized AGM or lead acid battery. It’s fairly common that most touring vehicles or trailers are overloaded with a whole host of essential things like luggage, accessories, recreational gear, people, and pets so when you can cut down battery weight by up to 33% by choosing lithium it’s often a no brainer. Especially when multiple auxiliary batteries are part of the system, having a lighter setup can be crucial.
The total solution
If it’s simplicity and a one stop solution you’re after, look no further than REDARC. With the ultimate in deep-cycle battery technology and REDARC proven toughness, the new REDARC Lithium Deep Cycle Batteries are the perfect solution when deciding on your next auxiliary battery. Perfect for use with all your other REDARC products, they provide unrivalled performance and battery life.
Available in 100A Standard (LBATN12100) and 200A (LBATN12200) variants there’s a size to suit every setup from the weekend warrior to the off-grid expert. Each battery is equipped with an internal Battery Management System (BMS) that monitors and optimises each cell during charge and discharge. This protects the battery pack from overcharge, over discharge and short circuit. The BMS also allows the balancing of cells within the batteries allowing them to be configured and used in-parallel to increase battery bank capacity for increased power storage.
With faster charging, REDARC Lithium Deep Cycle Batteries can handle a wide temperature range, meaning that you can travel the most extreme locations and run your gear for longer before recharge is required. They also need less time to recharge than a standard AGM battery.
Find out more about REDARC’s Lithium Deep Cycle Batteries and how they can fit into your current setup or find out how a lithium battery can work with your other REDARC gear in our virtual tour.
