When it comes to buying or replacing a battery, it can be a difficult decision to make. You have to consider the aspects of the battery you want to prioritize. 

Does it have to be lightweight? have a fast charging time? A long life cycle?

Lithium vs lead-acid batteries is the big decision that this guide will help you make.

Maintenance

Flooded cell Lead-acid batteries have a number of costs associated with their regular maintenance.

Measures must be taken to properly ventilate the charging area, which depending on the scale of the application, can incur a lot of specialized ventilation equipment.

They also need to be periodically topped up with demineralized water. The demineralization process can also be costly, depending on use.

Conversely, Lithium batteries have none of these costs associated with them. Though taking care of them can extend battery life.

Battery Cycle Life

Lithium batteries, on average, will cycle up to 5000 times, meaning their lifespan is up to 5 times longer than lead-acid batteries.

Because of this, Lithium batteries start to pay for themselves after a while. The money saved on maintenance, repairs, and replacements makes lithium a good option, regardless of the upfront cost.

Another advantage is the time it takes to charge the battery. Lithium batteries can handle a larger amperage from a charger, which results in faster charging, than a flooded cell lead-acid battery.

Environmental Impact

More and more people are trying to minimize their environmental impact, and the best battery to consider with this in mind is lithium. These use less grid energy to charge and do not contain as many hazardous chemicals.

These chemicals are more prevalent in lead-acid batteries. This can make it difficult to dispose of batteries safely.

Weight and Performance

In terms of the physical weight of both types of these batteries, lithium is again superior. They are up to 3 times lighter than lead-acid equivalents.

Lithium and lead-acid also differ significantly in performance.

Lead-acid and other types of batteries begin to lose voltage output when they get to around 25-30% capacity. Lithium batteries don't suffer from this loss, which means in applications like golf carts, they can reach higher speeds and carry more weight without losing power.

The depth of discharge of lithium batteries can be up to 85%, whereas lead acid prefer to be discharged to the 50% level. This implies the length of time lithium batteries is operational is far longer.

Safety Features

Another benefit of some lithium batteries is their self-monitoring and warning systems. Some lithium batteries come with remote controls that warn the user of any problems or malfunctions with the battery.

Also, some lithium batteries, automatically disconnect from a machine or engine when it is not in use, preventing damage to the battery itself.

Lithium vs Lead-Acid Batteries: Final Thoughts

One thing you can definitely count on lead-acid batteries' superiority is their upfront cost. They are the less expensive option by far, but will typically have to be replaced sooner than lithium equivalents.

Taking this into account, the number of advantages of lithium vs lead-acid batteries is, a lot of times, enough to justify the cost.

If you are looking for a new battery or replacing an old one, check out our store page.

Warehouse Battery Outlet's goal is to get you access to the battery you need. We stock batteries for almost everything, including common batteries such as alkaline batteries, watch batteries, hearing aid batteries and dog collar batteries as well as more obscure batteries such as Bipower prizmatic batteries. Located in Quakertown PA, Warehouse Battery Outlet offers local delivery for specific items on business accounts. Our 13,000 square feet of warehouse and retail space makes for  WBO's superior buying power allows us to provide, to our customers, the most competitive pricing in the industry today. Servicing the areas of Allentown, King of Prussia, and surrounding areas daily!