Excellent, the return of the battery wars we used to have at St Elsewhere.
Lead Acid (proper traction cells) Vs Lithium, they both have their pro's and con's, i've had both, there is no black and white answer.
Choose wisely,
Lead Acid - Pros
Cheaper outlay.
Recyclable and money back.
No BMS required.
Can be abused on overcharge.
Can use automatic watering and EQ charging systems to reduce maintenance burden.
Lead Acid - Cons
Regular overcharge required.
Difficult to move and full of liquid sulphuric acid.
Need a lot of distilled or deionised water as a consumable, can be reduced on hydrocaps.
Gives off hydrogen and noxious gasses, can be reduced with hydrocaps.
Risk of acid leaks.
Much lower life with repeated deep discharges or partial charges.
Sulfation of plates if left at partial changes.
Needs significant absorption charge time to get to full charge and to stir up the acid.
Once down to 80% life capacity they are fecked in no time.
Voltage sag under high loads.
Requires use of PPE, goggles and rubber gloves.
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Lithium - Pros
Once down to 80% lifetime capacity they are still useable.
Double or treble the cycles of lead acid.
More efficient, less DC in to DC out round trip loss.
Capable of very high charge / discharge rates with little voltage sag and no long absorption phase.
Maintenance free.
Stay clean.
Can be installed sideways or upside down.
Half the weight of LA.
Can be left at low SOC for long periods.
Lithium - Cons
More expensive outlay although if a DIY pack is built, can be similar in price.
If BMS fails, the pack is fecked unless you can fix it, or re-use the cells with another BMS.
Can burn or explode if abused, some chemistries like LFP are safer.
Cells become stressed (reduced life) if left at high SOC for long periods.
Currently difficult to recycle, no money back, you might have to pay to dispose.
Can be damaged by low temperature charging (lower than zero degrees).
