Lithium Starter Battery

[BobTheMonkey Member Find all posts View Profile Close BobTheMonkey]

Really cant see why they cant be used for a cranking battery , i did find this
http://www.campertrailers.org/lithium_batteries.htm

id be interested to know what prices we are looking at, and what size we would need to crank over a D4D.

[stevensr34 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close stevensr34]

12V 40AH Lithium-Ion Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries from EV-Power costs $220... This is a replacement for a starter battery, at about one-third the weight (6kg)...

NOTE: You will need a battery isolator to disconnect the battery if the voltage gets too low (11.2V), otherwise it this level of discharge is reached, the battery CANNOT be re-charged. These cost $70 from Jaycar, or ev-power.

http://ev-power.com.au/webstore/inde...ry-module.html



I have a small 12V 20AH Lithium battery to start a small car I own, and it works fine.

[groeschel Member Find all posts View Profile Close groeschel]

Do you charge the battery from the original alternator or did you have to change anything beyond adding the low-voltage protection?

Cheers
Michael

12V 40AH Lithium-Ion Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries from EV-Power costs $220... This is a replacement for a starter battery, at about one-third the weight (6kg)...

NOTE: You will need a battery isolator to disconnect the battery if the voltage gets too low (11.2V), otherwise it this level of discharge is reached, the battery CANNOT be re-charged. These cost $70 from Jaycar, or ev-power.

http://ev-power.com.au/webstore/inde...ry-module.html



I have a small 12V 20AH Lithium battery to start a small car I own, and it works fine.

[BobTheMonkey Member Find all posts View Profile Close BobTheMonkey]

That seems reasonable, I would expect to put 8 or 16 cells in my prado depending on size for around $880 plus a managment modual, That's around 260ah of equivalent lead acid. That could keep a couple of fridges in the back running for a while.

[BobTheMonkey Member Find all posts View Profile Close BobTheMonkey]

I guess now that we know the cells are available at a reasonable price the next thing to consider is the management of the cells.

- 240v plug with build in charger so that you can plug the car in and keep the battries charged while parked, from home, with a genarator or at a caravan park. would also help keep the fridges running in the back while parked having 1 point of entry for the enter system would make it simpler.

- 12v Anderson Plug, caravan, solar panels ect.

Bob

[drivesafe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close drivesafe]

Bob as you’re considering replacing both your cranking battery and your auxiliary battery, you will simplify your set up.

A suggestion, before you do anything, have a chat with the two battery suppliers in WA, they are far better at what the do than any one else seems to be, particularly when it comes to charge these batteries.

As posted earlier in this thread, these batteries are not that RV friendly yet but if you are charging your whole battery set up, you do away with the inability to mix lead acid and litho batteries.

I have a customer who has three of these batteries in his 4x4 and CT and has had so many incompatibility problems that he has replaced the litho auxiliary battery he had under the bonnet with an Optima and now simply charges all three litho batteries at home before he goes on a trip and then keeps them separated from the lead acid vehicle batteries.

The supplier has been next to useless at sorting out his problems.

One tip, Sterling(UK) and ProMariner(USA) both have 240vac battery chargers that properly charge lithium batteries and both are available here.

[BobTheMonkey Member Find all posts View Profile Close BobTheMonkey]

based on the Dimensions of 126mm*46mm*180mm Per cell, it shouldn't be to much of a drama to fit 6 cells each side. with a total of 12cells and 120ah of power. 8.4 kg per 6 cells is just under half the weight of a lead acid.

Alternatively based on what drivesafe is saying, maybe mixing Lead Acid and Lithium could be an option to reduce compatibility issues.

Who are the 2 battery suppliers in WA?

[drivesafe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close drivesafe]

Hi Bob and the two companies are EVPower, already mentioned and EV Works.

While you are researching these batteries, make sure you get the exact charging requirements.

I’m not talking about charging with a 240VAC battery charger, I’m talking about what is required for charging these batteries in a vehicle, by the vehicle’s alternator.

I am by no means any form of authority on these batteries, in fact I rate myself as a novice, but from the research I’ve done, you MUST charge them with specific voltages or they will not charge to a maximum and some of these batteries need the same charge and float voltages.

Make sure you get the precise charging details or they could work out very expensive but have a short life.

[Kev7762 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kev7762]

I recently replaced the lead acid battery in my Ducati GT 1000 with a lithium iron battery. The old battery was 10 A/h and weighed a couple of kilos, the new battery is 18A/h and weighs less than a kilo. Instead of cranking for couple of seconds before firing it cranks and then fires almost immediately. I bought a Shorai which comes with a heap of foam packing to fill out the battery box as the batteries are smaller tha the standard battery.
No issues with charge circuit, but if utilizing a charger cannot use an anti sulphate on type charger. However based on personal experience of a work mate who also has one in a Ducati 1198, they hold charge much longer than a lead acid.

Hadn't even considered the application in the Prado or what they might cost.

[stevensr34 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close stevensr34]

Do you charge the battery from the original alternator or did you have to change anything beyond adding the low-voltage protection?

Cheers
Michael

Nope - just used the existing charger. I do, however, use a trickle charger when at home, to "top-up" the battery using 14.7Volts. The car charger doesn't quite get there...(it charges at about 14.1Volts)...

[BobTheMonkey Member Find all posts View Profile Close BobTheMonkey]

One other thing, do you think they will rattle to pieces on corrugations ?

[Kev7762 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kev7762]

One other thing, do you think they will rattle to peices on coragtion?

If they can handle vibrating around above the back wheel of my Ducati, corrugations shouldn't be a real dram

[BobTheMonkey Member Find all posts View Profile Close BobTheMonkey]

yeah but your ducati is a single cell i would assume? these 4 cells are held together by some screws and plate.

[Kev7762 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kev7762]

yeah but your ducati is a single cell i would assume? these 4 cells are held together by some screws and plate.

It is a single unit, multiple units could be a problem depending on how they are secured

[stevensr34 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close stevensr34]

As they don't weigh much, they shouldn't need as much to secure them as (say) a lead acid cell would... I think they have stainless steel strapping holding each cell in place.