Lithium battery? (For EOC users)

[NiHaoMike]

I found the following link:
Endless-sphere.com • View topic - YESA LiFePO4 engine start pack, Save 20% gasoline!!!
Perhaps a Lithium battery can help for those who frequently EOC?

[Daox]

Not worth it, yet. The cost of lithium per Wh is still astronimcal compared to lead. Plus, I've been monitoring battery voltages lately. I only really have problems with voltage dropping too low when I have my headlights on. If its dusk/dawn I just turn on the running lights instead and voltages are fine. If I don't have any lights on I could coast forever.

[roflwaffle]

For new it's worth it provided the owner builds the ~14.4V pack themselves outa the DeWalt A123 cells or similar, at least compared to new. It should last ~20-30 years at least down to ~70-80% of the original capacity. While a new lead starting battery is pretty cheap at ~$50 for a smallish battery, it can only do, say, ~100 complete cycles or the equivalent, and since it'll only store ~.5kWh, that's ~$1/kWh stored. Deep cycle LA is a bit better at ~$.40/kWh stored, but it still isn't close to stuff like A123's cells that are ~10-25c/kWh stored depending on how low they're allowed to go in terms of capacity. It's kinda like the whole NiFe compared to LA deal. NiFe is also cheap per kWh stored, but since it's so much more expensive off the bat, most don't use it.

[The Atomic Ass]

Originally Posted by Daox

Not worth it, yet. The cost of lithium per Wh is still astronimcal compared to lead. Plus, I've been monitoring battery voltages lately. I only really have problems with voltage dropping too low when I have my headlights on. If its dusk/dawn I just turn on the running lights instead and voltages are fine. If I don't have any lights on I could coast forever.

I've seen LiFePo4 prices at only double LA.

As a matter of fact, I posted about it...

Battery prices continue to plunge

[Thidj LeVert]

Hmmm I got my hand on a lot of NiFe battery packs. Looks old and dirty. They look easy to restore (Just like a metal tank with 2 bolts and a hole). I wanted to know if they are good to put into an EV. Here's the info on metal tag : Type: SV12 10 cells 120 amp. hours normal charge 24 amp for 7 hours. I would be grateful to any who could tell me also what is a dead battery (i.e. each battery of the pack shows 0.60 volt) i got them in a wood case, the number of batteries in each case varies, but they're all linked with a metal bridge (series). It belonged to a very old guy who used them for a windmill.
Edit :Theyre NiFe accumulator. some websites say it's good because of low discharge, some other says it's bad because of high discharge.. :?

[roflwaffle]

They're probably dead, but you can try and see if they take a charge. If they don't, I think replacing the electrolyte and trying again would be a good idea. They're supposedly heavier and less efficient than lead acid batteries so using them could make for a really slow/lossy NEV, but they're also supposed to be more durable. Great for backup power at a home IMO if the claims about their lifespan/maintenance are true.

[Nevyn]

I have a medium sized collection of Li-Ion cells from laptop batteries that I've been hoarding. If someone is after them to sort through and find good cells, I'm willing to send them out for the cost of shipping.

I have ~30 individual cells at this point.

[modmonster]

for the same energy storage, lithium batteries are 3 times lighter than lead batteries and some cells (like A123) are supposed to be 30C compared to 9C with lead. therefore your lithium battery would also be 9 times lighter. so you could shed about 15-20kg curb weight. if 100lb = 2% FE reduction, then you could save 1% of your fuel bill. the pay back time would be about 5 years on this basis.

[MetroMPG]

There is a company that produces lithium 12v nominal batteries for race cars - mostly for the weight savings. They've got built in BMA for cell protection (low/high voltage cutoff)

They contacted us at one point to see if we wanted to review one, but it never went anywhere. Price was prohibitive.

[modmonster]

cheap lithium cells are twice the price of lead, hight discharge rate cells that would be needed would be 4-6 times the price of lead. but you may be able to use less Ah capacity to get the same results. the right lithium battery might be only 2 or 3 times the old lead one.