20 caravanworld.com.au
LOWDOWN
ON LITHIUM
BATTERIES
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D
bWith
David
baylissA Hi David,
This is a great question and extremely topical
now, especially as we are seeing more and
more discussion in regard to the use of lithium
batteries. Lithium batteries are a hot topic with
the likes of Tesla propping up the South
Australian power grid and domestic power
storage becoming a more prevalent
option. The RV industry is now seeing a surge
in the use of lithium batteries with RVers keen
to be able to expand how far they can roam
without 240V power.
A good solar setup and a reliable DC AUX
supply from your car’s alternator gives you the
ability to generate a vast amount of energy
and this needs to be stored within a reliable
energy storage system. Lithium batteries
provide this!
However, the key to any great system is
exactly the three points which you raise in your
question: performance, safety and reliability.
Without these factors, any lithium battery will
not be a quality investment.
In many ways it is like most things you invest
in – do your homework. One of the most
important factors to look at when purchasing
these latest technology batteries is to research
the brand and also the quality certifications or
testing of the battery and its manufacturer.
And only buy from a trusted source.
You may pay a higher price for these
branded batteries, but you can be guaranteed
that they have the quality systems
implemented through the manufacturing
process which will ensure the longevity of such
an investment.
As the inside of a 12V lithium battery
contains multiple cells, it is therefore even
more important to buy only quality as across
the top of all these cells is a set of electronics
called a Battery Management System (BMS).
The BMS, which is also internal to the
battery, controls the input and output voltage
and current of each internal cell and keeps
these cells balanced to ensure the batterycharges and discharges properly.
Like everything in this world, cheaper
batteries will not have invested in quality
technology and manufacturing processes for
either the BMS or individual cells and therefore
will be more likely to malfunction, especially in
tough Australian conditions. These companies
won’t be around in the longer term and then, if
there is a problem, you will have nowhere to go
to have your warranty honoured.
Recently, I phoned a company that
advertised lithium batteries for the RV industry
and asked what testing they had done on the
batteries, what certifications did the factory
have etc and the response was: “I have been
told they have them but no, I haven’t seen
them myself.” Really, can you trust a source
such as this? Especially with such a large
investment and potentially dangerous source
of stored energy. In my opinion, eBay or a fancy
online website with images of melting polar ice
caps is not a recommendation as a high-
quality source of reliable lithium batteries.
Batteries such as the BMPRO Sentry range,
are in fact not just certified at individual cell
level but also as a complete assembled
battery thus offering an even higher level of
guaranteed quality. Also check if the batteries
can be connected in parallel.
At BMPRO headquarters we have
extensively tested a range of lithium batteries
across a range of price points and
manufacturers. Generally, those batteries
which were slightly above the average price
point performed exceptionally and as per the
manufacturer’s claims.
Whilst lithium prices are falling as they
become more accepted in the market, we
would expect that a battery priced between
$1000 and $1400 will represent great value for
money for a 100Ah setup. If you feel the price
is too high, better to either wait for the price to
ease back or save for a bit longer.
Be warned – don’t buy cheap lithium! You’ll
get what you pay for!SUBMIT A
QUESTION FOR A
CHANCETOWIN!
We are giving away BMPRO’s Hema
Road + 4WD Atlas valued at $39.95.
This handy spiral bound Atlas Features
points of interest, caravan parks,
campsites, rest areas, fuel and detailed
4WD tracks for when you are on the road.
Just email your question to David Bayliss
at [email protected]
with 12V Guru in the subject line to be in
the running to win.Q I am considering buying a new BMPRO lithium charger and 2 x 100A lithium batteries as I find
our current single 120A AGM caravan battery just keeps running out of power on cloudy days. I am
confused by the price of lithium batteries as a single 100A lithium can range from $500 to
$2000. Why? How much should I spend on a lithium battery to meet my needs of performance,
safety and reliability?
David Sajfar
Keilor, VICCOLUMNS 12V guru