Lithium, Lead, Amp-Hours, and EVs

by Kurt
(Wyoming)

I was wondering what the differences would be between doing a conversion using Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries that have 100 A/h and one that uses golf cart batteries like the Trojan T-105 that have 225 A/h.
I know the LiFePO4 batteries are the favored batteries if your budget can handle them. but it seems to me that the higher the A/h rating the better for an EV. Is this correct or would the lithium batteries still be the better choice.

Hi, Kurt -
It's a matter of weight and distance you can travel, but oh, this is not simple.

The LiFePO4 batteries at 100 AH will not take you as far as lead batteries at 225 AH, but they'll be a lot lighter - and AH for AH, you'll get more miles from the lithium. (See my remark in the comments below.)

As you know, amphours, AH, are a measure of how many amps your batteries can deliver times the number of hours they can deliver the amps.

And as you've also figured out, AH are notoriously heavy little devils; comparing the same battery chemistry, more amp-hours means more weight.

But a lithium amp hour doesn't equal a lead amp hour. A 200AH LiFePO4 battery pack, you may notice, will take you a lot further than a 200AH lead battery pack.

Oh, and about the price, well - lithium is coming down in price all the time. Now, in 2011, lithium is as cheap or cheaper than lead per mile. So go ahead and get the LiFePO4. You know you want to; )

Regards,
Lynne