Even though most electric vehicles are currently use lithium batteries,different models lithium batteries are still equipped differently. There are two main types lithium batteries used in electric vehicles, lithium iron phosphate batteries and NCM lithium batteries. And the each of them has their own performance. let us make a contrast with these two kinds of batteries.
Advantages of LiFePO4 battery:
- Safety: NCM Battery has risk of fire or explosion. However,lithium iron phosphate batteries can withstand punctures, short circuits, and will not spontaneously ignite after the collision.
- High temperature tolerance :LFP batteries can perform in wide range of temperature below 60°C. For NCM battery is ordinary no more than 45°C.
- Long cycle span: The cycle life of LifePO4 is 3000, whereas NCM is around 1000.
- Warranty: As the higher cycle life, so warranty for LifePO4 battery is also higher compared to NCM Battery .Consequently from long term, LifePO4 battery make your vehicle perform longer.
- Full charge tolerance: If kept at high voltage for a prolonged time, Lithium phosphate is less stressed than other lithium-ion systems. And when in full charge conditions,Li-phosphate is more tolerant.
- Eco-friendly : For producing, LFP batteries need less energy, and have less impact on the environment than NCM batteries.The manufacturers insists.
Advantages of NCM Battery:
High energy density: Because of higher lithium diffusion rate and electron mobility of NCM battery, it features higher power rating and energy density. In addition they have lesser space requirement,so NCM batteries are preferred in electric vehicles at present.
Low price: The price of the NCM battery pack is little cheaper than LFP. In a battery pack it takes less NCM cells to fulfill, because the cell voltage of NCM is 3.7 whereas LFP is 3.2V. That’s why the NCM is cheaper,and for this reason,it get more users.
Lithium Battery Pack Technologies
Our broad manufacturing capabilities enable us to build the most basic battery packs, to custom packs with specialized circuitry, connectors and housings. From low to high volume, we have the capability and industry expertise to meet the unique needs of all OEM’s as our experienced engineering team can design, develop, test and manufacture custom battery solutions for the specific needs of most applications.
OSM offers solutions based on customer requirements and specifications. We partner with the industry leading cell manufacturers to provide the optimum solutions and we develop and integrate the most sophisticated control and monitoring electronics into its battery packs.
Battery thermal management to vehicles
Power batteries are crucial in electric vehicles , but they are more valuable and sensitive to temperature at present. For instance,the normal operating temperature is directly from 0 to 45°C for current NCM lithium battery.If the battery temperature is too high, it is easy to cause the battery thermal failure and battery spontaneous combustion. Therefore,it is important control the battery temperature. At present, there are mainly three ways : air cooling, water cooling and direct cooling. And water cooling technology is relatively mature.
Battery protection configuration to vehicles
Most of the power batteries are installed on the chassis of the vehicle,which is prone to collision in the process of use.Therefore, it’s important to improve the safety performance of power battery under collision. There are two aspects to increase protection configuration, one aspect is increase the hardness of the battery case and add some mechanical protection measures. Another is to add battery control to the circuit after a collision. Like Bosch,they have developed a power cable ,with which can cut off the power during a collision, thus to to prevent short-circuit and spontaneous combustion.
Conclusion
For environmental protection, electric vehicles will be more and more popular. The safety of power battery is very important for electric vehicles, so more attention should be paid to the safety of power battery when choosing electric vehicles. The choice of battery is up to you, but we would prefer to recommend lithium iron phosphate batteries.
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Why switch from lead-acid to lithium?
The case for lithium is not one advantage but five that compound. Measured against a lead-acid bank of the same nominal voltage:
| Property | LiFePO4 | Lead-acid / AGM |
|---|---|---|
| Weight for the same usable energy | About one third | Baseline |
| Usable depth of discharge | 80–100 % | About 50 % |
| Cycle life | 2,000–6,000 | 300–500 |
| Round-trip efficiency | 92–98 % | 70–85 % |
| Self-discharge per month | 1–3 % | 4–15 % |
| Maintenance | None | Watering and equalising |
The depth-of-discharge line is the one people miss: a 100 Ah lead-acid battery really gives about 50 Ah of usable energy, so a 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery replaces roughly a 160–200 Ah lead-acid bank while weighing a fraction as much. The chemistry arithmetic is set out in lithium-ion vs lead-acid batteries.
Lithium for RV, marine and golf cart
Three vehicle classes benefit most, for the same reason: they carry their own weight and they value free capacity.
- RV and camper — hundreds of kilograms saved on a large bank, more usable capacity in the same locker, and no watering. The day-to-day points are covered in six things to know about lithium RV batteries.
- Marine — lower weight improves range and handling, and sealed cells tolerate the marine environment far better than vented lead-acid.
- Golf cart — a lighter bank means more range and better acceleration on the same controller; the selection criteria are in how to choose a golf cart battery.
What changes when you switch
- Charger profile — the charger must be set or replaced for a lithium profile (for a 4S 12 V pack, 14.6 V full charge); a lead-acid equalisation stage must be disabled.
- A BMS becomes mandatory — cell-level over-charge, over-discharge, temperature and balancing protection. This is not optional.
- Monitoring — a smart BMS with Bluetooth or a shunt gives live state of charge, which lead-acid users usually estimate rather than measure.
- Voltage stability — lithium holds a flat voltage as it discharges, so equipment runs at full performance until the battery is genuinely empty.
What the protection system does is described in BMS for a lithium battery pack.
Does lithium pay for itself?
The upfront price of a LiFePO4 battery is higher than lead-acid, but the comparison is not the sticker. Once the higher usable capacity, the five- to ten-fold cycle life, the near-absence of maintenance and the efficiency gain are included, the cost per kWh delivered over the life of the battery is usually lower than lead-acid. Where the battery is cycled daily, as in a live-aboard RV or a solar home, it pays back within a few years; where it is used only occasionally, lead-acid remains cheaper.
Switching to lithium FAQs
Is it worth switching from lead-acid to lithium?
For daily cycling it usually is. Lithium gives three to five times the usable energy per kilogram and 5–10× the cycle life, and the cost per delivered kWh ends up lower despite the higher purchase price.
Can I keep my existing charger?
Only if it can be set to a lithium profile. If it is a fixed lead-acid charger with an equalisation stage, it should be replaced.
Do I need a BMS with a lithium battery?
Yes, always. Without cell-level protection a lithium pack can be damaged permanently by a single over-charge or over-discharge event.
Need a quote? Tell us your vehicle and daily energy use and we will recommend a LiFePO4 pack and BMS — factory-direct, no obligation.
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