The LiFePO4 accumulator as a replacement for the car starter battery
Information on lithium-based battery technology as a replacement for the conventional heavy lead-acid car battery (Pb / AGM / VRLA):
What is a lithium iron phosphate battery? The LiFePO4 or LFP rechargeable battery is a further development of the lithium-ion rechargeable battery, in which the conventional lithium cobalt oxide cathode has been replaced by a lithium iron phosphate cathode.
It is characterized by high charging and discharging currents, very good temperature stability and a long service life: 
What are the advantages of LiFePO4 cells over LiPO batteries in cell phones & laptops?
- No fire hazard, as intrinsically safe
- Largely insensitive to mechanical stress
load, deep discharge & overcharging - Very high charging / discharging currents possible
- Significantly more charge / discharge cycles possible
- less sensitive at low / high temperatures
Why does a small, lightweight battery replace my large, heavy starter battery? Almost all of the stored energy can be drawn from LiFePO4 cells, compared to 30-35% for conventional lead-based starter batteries, depending on the quality.
Due to the degressive voltage characteristic during discharge, there is no longer enough energy available to start the vehicle very early on.
The voltage characteristic curve of LiFePO4 cells, on the other hand, remains almost constant throughout the entire discharge process >13V, which enables reproducible power extraction.
Practical examples:1.) 150W power (equivalent to front + rear lights) can be drawn from our smallestLITE↯BLOX LB12XX for ~30min and the vehicle still starts perfectly afterwards.2.) a comparatively small 2.0L turbo engine can be started 30 times in succession with the LITE↯BLOX LB12XX >(fully charged / cold engine @ RT). What does “Pb-eq” stand for in the technical data? Our LITE↯BLOX are pure starter batteries in which – in contrast to “deep-cycle” or storage batteries – only a fraction of the capacity is effectively used as intended.
In order to be able to compare our products with the usual characteristic values of a lead-based starter battery (see above), we therefore always state a lead equivalent (Pb-eq) increased by a factor of 1.5 to 2 for the nominal capacity in the technical data.
Why invest more than in a lead-based starter battery? LiFePO4 cells are currently still associated with high costs, but have a clear technological advantage over the classic car starter battery in almost all relevant respects and the increased investment is partly amortized by the increased service life (3-5 times longer):
Can I alternatively use a cheap “no-name” Li-battery in the vehicle? If you buy cheap, you usually buy twice & this doesn’t just apply to the “no-name” battery at the supermarket checkout…
Consistently developed as a starter battery for combustion engines according to the principle of “quality before quantity”, the LITE↯BLOX offer numerous advantages over current competitor products.
They are equipped with the most powerful LiFePO4 cells currently available and have been specially developed for use in the automotive sector.
Will a LiFePO4 battery be permanently damaged by a deep discharge? If a lithium-based battery cell is stored in a deep discharged state over a longer period of time, the cell chemistry changes permanently, resulting in a reduced service life – in the worst case even damage to the cells (internal short circuit).
Our laboratory tests – confirmed by years of data collection in the field – show that the premium battery cells we use only experience barely measurable impairments if the LITE↯BLOX
a) promptly and
b) is charged with reduced current (max. 1.5A) or our charger. How do LiFePO4 batteries behave in heat? According to the manufacturer, the LithiumWerks (formerly A123 Systems) battery cells we use have an operating range of -30° to +55°C, but age significantly faster the more often they are exposed to extreme heat or cold.
Thanks to our innovative housing concept in CFRP on technical foam, the battery itself is largely thermally and mechanically decoupled and, unlike competitor products, can therefore also be used permanently in the engine compartment without losing performance. Note: the service life of a battery decreases chemically with the ambient temperature, so it is recommended that the LITE↯BLOX is mounted in a place in the vehicle that is protected from direct heat radiation. How do LiFePO4 batteries behave in the cold? In contrast to lead-acid batteries, lithium-iron batteries generate their own heat field under load, so that they start reliably even at low temperatures.
If the LITE↯BLOX is also to be used in the winter season, it is therefore advisable to activate all electrical consumers in the vehicle before starting the engine in order to bring the battery cells up to operating temperature. Note: For chemical reasons, each accumulator can deliver less power as the temperature drops, and the vehicle then requires more starter power to start (as the oil is more viscous, etc.), so we recommend planning a LITE↯BLOX model with sufficient reserves for year-round use.
If the above points are taken into account when using them, the service life of our LITE↯BLOX batteries is 3-5 times longer than that of conventional lead-based starter batteries (on average 4 years according to the German Automobile Association ADAC).
All information to the best of our knowledge and belief – without guarantee (subject to change).
Failure to observe the above points may invalidate the warranty.
