Lithium starting batteries

[airshot]

Just something to keep in mind....with the big move to electric vehicles and the lipo batteries that power them, we are creating a material shortage. The lithium and cobalt materials needed to make these batteries is quickly becomming short in supply and demand. Batteries for electric cars have doubled in cost over the past year plus. also the cost of minning these materials is very costly !! It has been stated many times that the battery cost and carbon footprint is greater than the cost of producing the rest of the vehicle !! Small batteries for R/C use are cheap imports and if they fail it is not a real big deal if standard safety proceedures are followed. However...if the mfgrs start importing cheap imports with poor quality control standards in larger batteries such as those used in boats our safety may be in danger in the very near future. With the market ramping up for these types of batteries, we need to be very carefull with our searches for these, make sure you get good quality products and not cheap poor quality dangerous bombs that can cause serious harm. When shortages take place, many back yard mfgrs suddenly open up shop to peddle junk quickly. Buyers beware as the battery material shortage is getting started and the prices skyrocket, dont fall for a cheap wannabe battery that may be very unsafe.

 

[Jimbeau]

I was at Bass Pro today. Check out the price of the lithium battery on the lower shelf! What the heck? A thousand bucks for a battery!

 

[CRS]

It all depends on what you are doing and the requirements. I fish on an electric only reservoir no gas tank even allowed on the boat. Electric motors like electric cars are a poor substitute for the internal combustion motor. Lead acid and AGM are heavy and should never be run down past 50%. To get speed and range more batteries are necessary, more batteries more weight, more weight requires more batteries. I see bass boats sitting so low in the water with all the batteries they carry I would not want to get in them. Before lithium half the lake was only obtainable by a few with the largest boats that could carry huge banks of batteries. I use Dakota LiPo4 batteries Two 100amp hour 12 volt linked for a 24 volt Ulterra, a pair of 12 volt 18 amp hour LiPo4 for the electronics and two 48 volt 96 amp hour LiPo4 for the Elco outboard. The result is half the battery weight and constant voltage and they can be run down 90% without doing any damage. I can reach the entire lake and get back with power to spare, the trolling motor can run all day with power to spare and the electronics never experience any voltage drop. If I could use a gas motor I would, just like I use a gas powered Jeep instead of some electric souped up golf cart. Any batteries create a danger, deadly gasses and if the housing is broken leaked acid, AGM's excluded in the leakage department. Lead acid and AGM drop voltage as they discharge, never a good thing for electronics. All batteries can cause problems but until another storage method is found for electric, either paddle, row or sail.

 

[airshot]

Lipos for trolling motors and electric boat motors are fine, even great for the amount of power they hold. A starting battery is another story because of the alternator/ generator that will charge the battery. If you are only drawing current from the battery then fine, use standard safety procedures and you will be good. Allowing your gas powered motor to charge a lipo type battery is the really serious issue. Most major problems with lipo type batteries come from improper charging, not drawing the current from them !!!

 

[KMixson]

Lipos for trolling motors and electric boat motors are fine, even great for the amount of power they hold. A starting battery is another story because of the alternator/ generator that will charge the battery. If you are only drawing current from the battery then fine, use standard safety procedures and you will be good. Allowing your gas powered motor to charge a lipo type battery is the really serious issue. Most major problems with lipo type batteries come from improper charging, not drawing the current from them !!!

Correct!