In the battery industry, LiFePO4 batteries and lead-acid batteries are two different types of batteries, which are often compared. Here we will explain the difference between the two in several aspects:
LiFePO4 battery is a kind of lithium-ion battery, it`s actually a lithium-ion concentration difference battery, lithium ions in the two electrodes back and forth between the de-embedding. When charging, Li+ is removed from the positive compound and embedded in the negative lattice; when discharging, Li+ is removed from the negative electrode and embedded in the positive electrode. Under normal charging and discharging conditions, it generally only causes changes in level spacing and does not destroy the crystal structure. Since the lithium ions have relatively stable space and position in the positive and negative electrodes, the battery charging and discharging have better reversibility, thus ensuring the cycle life and working safety of the battery.
The lead-acid battery is composed of pole plate, partition plate, casing, electrolyte, lead connecting strip, pole post, etc… It is a reversible chemical power source, the charging process is to change the electrical energy into chemical energy for storage, and the discharging process is to change the chemical energy into electrical energy for discharge. Under normal use, it should not be discharged excessively, otherwise it will make the fine lead sulfate crystals mixed with the active material to form a larger body, which not only increases the resistance of the pole plate but also makes it difficult to restore it again when charging, which directly affects the capacity and life of the battery.
Energy density of battery is generally divided into weight energy density and volume energy density:
In terms of weight, the energy density of lead-acid batteries is generally 50 to 70wh/g, and the energy density of LiFePO4 batteries is generally 200 to 260wh/g. The weight energy density of lifepo4 batteries is 3 to 5 times that of lead-acid batteries, which means that under the same weight, the capacity of LiFePO4 batteries is three to five times stronger than that of lead-acid batteries.
In terms of volume, the volumetric energy density of LiFePO4 batteries is usually about 1.5 times that of lead-acid batteries, so at the same capacity, LiFePO4 batteries are about 30% smaller than lead-acid batteries.
In this regard, LiFePO4 batteries have an absolute advantage in terms of portability and energy storage.
Usually, the cycle life of lead-acid batteries is about 300~500 times. The cycle life of LiFePO4 battery is generally more than 2000 times, and some can reach 3000~4000 times. This shows that the cycle life of LiFePO4 battery is about 4~8 times that of lead-acid battery.
In terms of price alone, lead-acid batteries are cheaper than LiFePO4 batteries, which is about three times the price of lead-acid batteries. However, by cycle life, capacity decay, and other aspects of analysis, the same cost of LiFePO4 battery use time longer. In the long run, the cost savings are huge. Compared with lead-acid batteries, LiFePO4 batteries perform better and last longer. This means less replacement and labor costs, and less downtime.
LiFePO4 battery has ultra-low resistance (99% efficiency), which can speed up the charging speed while minimizing the loss! Reduced to a minimum, lead-acid batteries rapidly lose energy during discharge.
LiFePO4 batteries provide 100% of rated capacity regardless of discharge rate. Lead-acid batteries typically provide less usable energy at higher discharge rates. They are typically limited to 50% of their rated capacity to prevent shortened life.
The performance benefits of advanced lithium technology versus traditional lead-acid batteries are shown in the chart below:
| COMPARISON OF LEAD-ACID AND LiFePO4 | ||||||
| CHARACTERISTIC | FLA | AGM | GEL | LYTH LiFePO4 | BENEFIT OF LiFePO4 | |
| Voltage | 12V(2V per cell) | 12V(2V per cell) | 12V(2V per cell) | 12.8V(3.2V per cell) | More Power | |
| Life Cycles @ 80% DOD | 500 | 400 | 1000 | 7100(to 70% remaining capacity) | Longer Life | |
| Life Cycles @ 50% DOD | 900 | 800 | 1400 | 13000(to 70% remaining capacity) | 6-10X More | |
| Weight | 30kg(66.1 lbs) | 32.7 kg(72.1 lbs) | 32kg (70 lbs) | 13.5kg(30 lbs) | <1/2 the Weight | |
| Capacity @ 27℃ | C20 | 130Ah | 115Ah | 102Ah | 100Ah | Constant Power and |
| C5 | 105Ah | 91Ah | 85Ah | 100Ah | Energy at any Rate | |
| C1 | 74Ah | 62Ah | 70Ah | 100Ah | of Discharge | |
| Capacity @ 0℃ | 50% | 68% | 68% | 90% | Superior cold temp | |
| performance | ||||||
| Charge Time | 6-12 hours | 6-12 hours | 6-12 hours | 1-3 hours | 4-6x Faster | |
| Maintenance | HIGH | LOW | LOW | NONE | No Maintenance | |
| Real Cost per cycle @80% DOD | $0.67 | $0.92 | $0.57 | $0.31 | Cost over life | |
Environmentally, lead and sulfuric acid are extremely harmful to environmental pollution. Lead will be harmful to the environment, lead can be spread through the air, traditional battery manufacturers are not allowed to live within 10 kilometers, battery manufacturers pollute the environment through wastewater discharge.
LiFePO4 battery, on the other hand, is an environmentally friendly and harmless new energy battery. The use of are non-toxic, non-polluting materials made of. The main internal raw materials phosphorus and iron or the main component of plant fertilizer, the use of lithium iron phosphate batteries can make the car exhaust CO, HC, CO2, O2 value reduced by 25%-30%, environmentally friendly and pollution-free in line with the European ROHS regulations.
