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Lithium Batteries: Why are they important for the automotive industry?

For good performance and durability, forget the old lead-acid battery technology right away, regardless of the model.

It’s now clear that lithium batteries are the best option. With a lifespan five times longer than a traditional lead-acid battery, lithium batteries are also lighter, safer and up to 400 times more efficient in cold temperatures. Around -10°C, a good lithium battery will still deliver 80 amps, compared to only 15 amps for an acid battery.

How much knowledge do you have about the automotive industry? Do you have any knowledge about the batteries used in automobiles? If you have a car, go and check the engine. Spot the battery used in your vehicle. If you have a car manual, read the battery section. Which battery is used? Is it a lithium battery? Why is the automotive industry stressing about using lithium batteries in vehicles? Why are they so important? Let’s discuss the importance of lithium batteries for the automotive industry in detail in the current blog post.

Lithium Batteries

Why has the automotive industry switched from lead-acid batteries to lithium batteries as an effective energy storage solution? Whether it is your solar energy system or an automobile, lithium batteries work. Lithium-ion batteries are getting popular over time. Lithium Batteries are recalled based on their composition – made of lithium metal. It is a more productive and less costly option.

This quality is measured mainly by the purity of the metals used and the conditions in which these materials are assembled to build the batteries. It may not sound like much, but there is a huge difference between a 99.9% pure lithium battery and a 99.9999% pure lithium battery. “If there are copper pipes in a factory, there is a risk that air will come in contact with those pipes and copper particles will get into the battery.

BMS & Lithium Batteries

While choosing a company to buy lithium batteries, do explore the portfolio. You should not compromise on the quality and buy the premium version. Do you know that lithium batteries are compatible with be used in any product where you may use a lead-acid battery? Whether it is a solar system or a vehicle, you can replace lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries.

No matter where its cells come from, a lithium battery always needs an electronic system to stay balanced. This system, known as the Battery Management System (BMS), must also be of impeccable quality for a battery to function properly over the long term.

As the technology advanced, lithium batteries are now offered with the latest features like an integrated BMS. How is BMS beneficial? It ensures that your battery is fully functional and doesn’t break in response to high load. Moreover, it adds to the efficiency of your battery as well due to the automatic balancing of cell charging.

Let it be starting or deep cycle use, you can use a lithium battery. It works best in both series and parallel combinations. In short, anywhere you need to withstand a high energy load, you can install a lithium battery, especially ones with integrated BMS.

Batteries and Cold weather

Among the components of the BMS, the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, or more commonly known as mosfets , play a crucial role in the balancing of the cells. If they are of a lower quality, these small parts will crack over time and make the battery fail and become obsolete.All of this means that a battery with a low-end BMS will die prematurely, even if the cells in it are still good.

The automotive industry requires battery solutions that can withstand high energy demands. You cannot number any automobile product that may not need a lithium battery for full efficiency. It is the best solution that you install for less money. These batteries are specially designed to meet dead energy requirements and so their benefits outweigh the uses of lead-acid batteries.

Another interesting fact about lithium batteries used in the automotive industry is that you don’t have to wait for hours to get a battery charged. You can charge it quickly to do hard jobs or run an engine and for a long time continuous performance. Last, but not least, do you know that these batteries are also virtually maintenance-free? Sounds interesting? Think of verifying if your automotive vehicle is using a lithium battery. If it is not, then go buy one. You may request a new lithium battery or a used lithium battery depending on your budget.

Take Away!

It is advised to buy a new lithium battery to take advantage for a longer time. It is not too expensive and saves you money. If you need assistance in finding trustworthy lithium battery providers, leave a comment for suggestions.

What about Voltium ?

Using UL1973 certified cells from a world-renowned supplier, notably for its contracts with BMW , Tesla, LG and Volkswagen , Volthium relies on the best electronic components available, but also on impeccable engineering quality and thoughtfulness for Canada.

In order to deal with our often-bumpy roads, Volthium welds its cells instead of bolting them together. All screws are also sprayed with an adhesive additive to avoid any risk of long-term defect. The 12V batteries are assembled in a compact format (Group 24) that allows you to carry them with you easily, especially since their weight is very light.

Guaranteed for 10 years, Volthium batteries are also equipped with a custom-made case that allows free access to the electronics. In case of breakage, you can simply replace the defective part instead of the complete set, which is not possible with all suppliers. In fact, if you use several batteries in parallel, some manufacturers will force you to replace the other batteries… by offering you a warranty only on the one that was defective!

Lithium batteries: don’t buy just anything

With the number of electrical and electronic gadgets that need to be operated in a day, the auxiliary battery has become essential to enjoy life in the van.

For good performance and durability, forget the old lead-acid battery technology right away, regardless of the model.

That said, there are different grades of lithium batteries available and you need to make sure you choose the right one. There are many poor-quality products available on the web and at some retailers, and while these cheap batteries may attract you with a tempting price, they will not give you all the benefits that lithium has to offer. Worse, they may not be as safe as a lead-acid battery.

There are three main criteria that define the quality of lithium batteries: the cells, the electronics and the engineering quality. If these three aspects are respected, you will have in your hands a battery that will be faithful to you for 10 years or even more. On the other hand, a poor-quality lithium battery could show signs of weakness in the first few years.

Let’s take a closer look…

The cells

Denis Geoffroy, a chemical engineer by training, has more than 25 years of experience in the field of lithium batteries. For him, there is no risk to be taken with cheap batteries, which are often powered by cells of inferior quality.

A lower-cost battery could therefore have the same specifications on paper, but use less pure cells, the consequences of which will inevitably be felt sooner or later.

First, the longevity of the battery will be significantly compromised if the quality of the cells is not up to par. “It’s going to damage the surfaces, and slowly through the cycles, the battery is going to lose its efficiency,” Geoffroy says. Eventually, this will result in heating that will degrade the battery’s capabilities.

You have to understand that a lithium cell is constantly reacting, just like a living organism. Throughout all these interactions, impure metals will inevitably cause degradation of the battery’s performance. The cold temperatures in Quebec can accelerate this process, even if the battery is not in use.

Safety can even become a major issue with batteries using bad cells. The risks of explosion are very real and are certainly not to be taken lightly. Denis Geoffroy cites the example of certain Samsung phones, which were not even allowed on planes a few years ago because of the real risks.

“It’s worth taking a few minutes to look at YouTube to see what a burning lithium battery looks like,” says Geoffroy. “I would never choose a battery from an unknown Chinese supplier. “

Electronics

“A good BMS will control the unbalancing of each cell, and not just by monitoring the voltage,” says Yves Choquette, a chemist by training who specializes in electrochemistry. Very involved in the world of lithium batteries since the 1990s, Mr. Choquette is unequivocal: a cheap and inadequate BMS can have significant negative repercussions on the durability of a battery.

Over time, a low-end BMS will have difficulty monitoring each cell properly, which will cause the battery to heat up more. “When recharging and especially towards the end of the charge, it’s very bad for a battery to get hot. This will lead to a loss of capacity over time,” explains Mr. Choquette, noting that the cold temperatures in Quebec make the work of a BMS even more important.

All of this means that a battery with a low-end BMS will die prematurely, even if the cells in it are still good.

Engineering quality

As you can see, the differences between a good and a bad lithium battery are enormous. The problem is that it is difficult to assess the quality of the cells and electronics with the naked eye. To make sure you don’t get confused, it’s wise to turn to a trusted retailer who can confirm the source and quality of these components.

That’s where a well-known Quebec company like Voltium comes in.

Guaranteed for 10 years, Volthiumbatteries are also equipped with a custom-made case that allows free access to the electronics. In case of breakage, you can simply replace the defective part instead of the complete set, which is not possible with all suppliers. In fact, if you use several batteries in parallel, some manufacturers will force you to replace the other batteries… by offering you a warranty only on the one that was defective!

In summary

What do you need to remember about all this? The world of lithium batteries is full of mediocre manufacturers whose only goal is to offer the cheapest product possible.

Except that in the long run, it pays to choose a quality battery that will last longer and pose less of a safety risk. “It’s like choosing between a Lada and a Toyota. The Lada, you’ll pay less, but it won’t last as long,” Denis Geoffroy cleverly concludes.

In collaboration with Volthium Energy

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