Gone are the days when companies focused on the motorcycle and didn’t think twice about its battery needs. And they were not wrong about it. After all, what options were there to think about besides lead-acid batteries? You were good to go as long as the battery cranks the starter up to fire up the motorcycle. If that is not the case, the replacement of the battery was the only viable option in most cases.
Like other components of the motorcycle, technological advancement helped in creating new breeds of batteries as well. Lithium iron phosphate motorcycle batteries emerged as a result of these improvements.
Types of motorcycles batteries
Lead Acid Battery
Also known as a flooded or wet cell lead acid battery, it is one of the most commonly used rechargeable batteries. Lead batteries are cost-effective which gives in the upper hand over their substitutes. Its main components consist of lead plates soaked in liquid sulfuric acid electrolytes. It requires distilled water to be refilled periodically to prevent damage to plates.
Absorbed Glass Mat Battery
Commonly known by the abbreviation of AGM battery, the Absorbed Glass Matt batteries are durable and efficient. You can say these are the advanced version of a lead acid battery in a way that they don’t require periodic maintenance.
Gel Electrolyte
The gel is created by mixing silica and the electrolyte which forms high performance and stable battery. Like AGM batteries, GEL Electrolyte batteries are also powered with a sealed case so no maintenance is required.
Lithium-Ion Battery (NCM/NCA)
Lithium-Ion (Li-ion): These batteries are lighter and more compact than lead-acid batteries, making them popular in high-performance and electric motorcycles. They have a higher energy density, which allows for longer-lasting charges and faster recharging times. However, they can be more expensive than lead-acid batteries.
LiFePO4 Battery
And here comes the most advanced of them all, the latest generation of batteries i.e Lithium iron phosphate motorcycle battery. It has successfully relegated lead acid batteries to history.
Lithium iron phosphate motorcycle batteries are powered by ultra-safe cells, capable of regenerating power above their weight class. These are significantly less in weight than lead acid-based batteries. Lithium Iron Phosphate cells are more reliable, stable, and safe than other options available.
But of course, there are other options for lithium-ion cells except for LFP, such as NCA and NCM. They have differences, but you can choose the needed battery according to your e-motorcycle application.
How does the lifepo4 motorcycle battery work?
Each cell has an anode that is made of carbon and a cathode that is made of lithium ferrous phosphate. Cells also have electrolyte which contains lithium perchloride. During the charging process, lithium-ion moves towards the anode which is made up of carbon. Carbon being porous is filled with lithium ions and the battery is charged sufficiently when lithium ions fill all the pores on the carbon.
The complete opposite happens when discharging of the battery occurs, where lithium ions move the opposite way from the anode to the cathode. The movement and vibrations of electrical ions are how power is generated.
Advantages of lifepo4 motorcycle battery
Lithium iron phosphate motorcycle battery has a longer life span as compared to lead acid batteries.
Lifepo4 motorcycle battery doesn’t need active maintenance which makes them hassle-free.
Lifepo4 motorcycle battery is the real lightweight champion.
These are highly efficient as compared to their competitors.
The highest quality cells make these batteries more reliable and safer to use.
High discharge rates make lithium iron phosphate motorcycle batteries perfect for starting engines with different power requirements.
Lifepo4 motorcycle batteries can withstand high temperatures which makes them a good fit for various applications.
LFP battery for motorcycles provides a safety solution. But it is not the only option. We offer power, parallel, swappable, safety, and other customer-oriented solutions. Discover more about our lithium batteries for electric motorcycle.
Disadvantages of lifepo4 motorcycle battery
Lifepo4 motorcycle battery outperforms traditional lead acid batteries in most of the categories. However, one of its disadvantages is its higher cost level. A long-life span comes parallel with a high-cost chip.
Another issue that one might face with Lifepo4 motorcycle batteries is that these do not perform well under cold temperatures.
The last thing is that LFP cells have lower energy density than other li-ion cells. We will discuss it in the next step.
Difference between lithium iron and other lithium-ion battery
Lithium-ion batteries consist of four components which are cathode, anode, separator, and electrolyte. The material used in making the anode is what the battery is named after in most cases. For instance, an NCM battery in the lithium-ion category has an anode made up of nickel, cobalt, and manganese. This makes the battery cost-efficient, high-powered in density, and long life cycle.
Alternatively, if the anode comprises nickel, cobalt, and aluminum then its referred to as an NCA battery in the category of lithium-ion batteries. These elements reflect the highest energy density and a low self-discharge rate which makes an NCA battery a premium choice.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries have excellent discharge performance with their composition of iron and phosphate materials. These make it the most reliable when it comes to safety. Also, they have the highest power density and super-long cycle life.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries can power up most of your vehicles.
Limitations of lithium batteries
Generally, lithium batteries for motorcycles have tremendous advantages in the form of being lightweight, and more aggressive usage on and off-road. But one should have a good reason to get one keeping in view the actual requirements.
For instance, if your motorcycle runs a lot of high-tech devices or even a tracker, there is a high chance that your battery will run out quickly. So, it all depends on aligning your requirements by choosing the right lithium battery for your bike.
Difference between lithium iron and lead-acid battery
The basic difference between a lithium and a non-lithium battery is the number of cells in them. While lithium-based batteries have 3.2-volt cells, non-lithium batteries have 2-volt individual cells.
In the case of a 12-volt lead acid battery, there are six cells in total while the same power can be generated by a 4-cell lithium battery. This states the case of how powerful lithium batteries are considering their high energy density.
The material used in lead acid batteries comprises lead peroxide (PbO2), sponge lead (Pb), and dilute sulphuric acid (H2SO4).
Lead acid batteries are more prone to natural limitations such as sulfation, depletion of material, slow rate of charging, and limited usable capacity. With lithium batteries, you can eliminate most of these limitations.
Lead acid batteries require periodic charging even when not in use due to self-discharge. Lithium batteries with the usage of a battery maintainer and float charger can carry their charge for a very long time.
How to charge the lifepo4 motorcycle battery?
Care must be placed on choosing a compatible battery charger as it’ll go a long way to assist you with your battery problems.
For long-term parking or storage, lifepo4 motorcycle batteries must be kept at approx. around 50 %. The best practice is to periodically charge your lifepo4 battery to its full capacity. At a fully charged state, the passive cell balancing begins to work which will ensure the longevity of the battery life cycle.
Where to buy a lifepo4 motorcycle battery?
Everyone looks for a reliable service provider for their battery and power solutions. For you, Tritek can be the ultimate one-stop solution provider for basically all your needs when it comes to batteries.
Tritek can provide a full range of solutions for LEV lithium-ion batteries and accessories, including customized battery packs, OEM for motor drives, controllers, central control systems, etc. They are planning to go multi-national as well to ensure better customer services worldwide.
