You have all heard the buzz words of Lithium batteries and how they are really the next best thing since sliced bread. And not to disappoint….most of the hype is correct, Lithium is light years better than lead acid or absorbent glass mat (AGM) technology. Unfortunately, most Lithium batteries come with the need for complex systems to integrate them into a ship, charge controllers, safety switches, and a battery management system (BMS). Large system and high-performance systems can require a liquid cooling system as well. For the regular sized boat all of these present a big problem for an install as they equal space, time and money, lots of money.
The good news for boat owners….
During our work we have evaluated some of the smaller batteries that do not require these complex, expensive systems, most of them we have found to be underwhelming or overpriced. Luckily, we found Battle Born, who build a drop in place 12 and 24 volt battery that is incredibly easy to install, cost effective, light weight & performs as promised. And yes, we really do mean drop in, they can take a normal charger and alternator with no issues. If you have a smart voltage regulator and smart A/C charger then the system can be optimized to operate with more efficiency, but these are not a requirement. The beauty of this Battle Born product is that is is designed to be dropped into a system that was just minutes before running a lead acid battery.
We fitted these to a 70-foot motor yacht last year and waited for results, which are now in. The batteries preformed perfectly all year, so much so that the owner almost forgot about them. This vessel is a light hybrid with most of the ships generator power going into the batteries. The system has been set up to do many cycles per day with large discharges to truly test the batteries. This cycling would normally have destroyed traditional lead acid batteries, but the Lithium Ion batteries have stood up to the test & continue to perform well today.
The technical details & why should you choose lithium over lead acid for your vessel?
In the simplest form, Depth of Discharge (DOD) and Cycle Life.
Lead acid batteries just cannot get close to the same performance as a Lithium battery.
Below are 2 charts with cycle life of a Lithium Battery vs a lead acid (Trojan T105).
The lead acid battery struggles to achieve 1000 cycles at 55% depth of discharge. Whereas the lithium battery will get over 10,000 cycles at 55% DOD. This is order of magnitude difference in addition the Lithium battery gets 4000 cycles at 100% DOD, and the lead acid 500 cycles. Lithium batteries give you more capacity, more cycles and are more tolerant to harsh usage and the occasional operational mistake.
Hildebrand Marine Solutions is now Battle Born Dealer, as we do believe in the product after a full year of testing. For more information on how we can help you make your boat a light hybrid, please get in contact at info@hildebrandmarine.com
