Dispelling misconceptions about safety, cost and cold storage performance for lithium motive power batteries.
Lithium motive power batteries are becoming more prevalent in the motive power industry. However, some misconceptions exist about their safety, cost, and performance in cold storage applications. In this blog, we are busting these myths to uncover the benefits of lithium motive power batteries.
1. “Lithium Is Not Safe”
One lingering misconception about lithium motive power batteries is that they are unsafe to use. Well-designed lithium batteries have a finely tuned battery management system (BMS). The BMS ensures the system is operating at peak performance and within high safety standards.
Of the lithium chemistries used in motive power applications, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is particularly safe. LFP batteries are unlikely to have a thermal event, with proper charging and storage procedures followed.
2. “Lithium Is Too Expensive”
The price of a lithium battery is known to be the highest compared to other motive power battery technologies. Lithium batteries can be the more cost-effective solution, especially in more demanding applications,
Due to their high upfront cost, lithium batteries are not as suitable as lead batteries for a light-duty, one-shift operation. However, for heavy-duty, around-the-clock operations where there is little room for downtime, a lithium battery may be a more economical solution. Since only one lithium battery is needed for each lift truck, the battery can be charged in the truck during scheduled breaks, which maximizes the daily runtime for each battery.
When deciding which battery best suits your motive power applications, it is important to consider all variables of your fleet’s requirements. Lithium motive power batteries last longer, require no maintenance and allow greater efficiency and productivity than lead batteries. These factors may result in a lower cost of ownership (COO).
Energy performance management software can help determine which battery technology is best suited for your motive power application. Stryten Energy inCOMMAND™ leverages real fleet data to facilitate informed decisions when comparing multiple motive power battery options.
3. “Lithium Cannot Operate in Cold Storage Applications”
Another misconception about lithium motive power batteries is that they cannot operate in cold storage applications. However, lithium has proven to perform well in cold storage.
Lithium batteries have a lithium salt electrolyte. This type of electrolyte has a much lower freezing point and allows greater ionic mobility as the battery gets colder. While a lithium battery’s capacity may decrease in cold storage applications, the capacity can be recovered once the battery warms up, returning it to its original performance.
4. “Lithium Batteries Cannot Be Used in Applications Built for Lead”
There is a misconception that lithium motive power batteries are unable to be used for “drop-in” or “retrofit” applications originally built for lead motive power batteries.
This is not true, especially with the LFP battery chemistry. The nominal voltage on four LFP cells in a series is 12.4 volts, similar to the voltage of a lead battery. Most lift trucks operate on some multiple of 12. For this reason, specific lithium batteries are suitable drop-in replacements for lead batteries without requiring any modifications.
Debunking the Myths
As operations utilize lithium motive power batteries, the misconceptions around safety, cost and cold storage performance are dispelled. Lithium batteries offer high efficiency and greater productivity with minimal downtime.
Click here to learn more about Stryten Energy’s new M-Series Li600 lithium-ion batteries. Available for Class I, Class II and Class III motive power applications, the M-Series Li600 provides all the power you need to get the job done.
