New Lithium Battery

[Waynecarla]

Has anyone tried the new lithium battery system from the village golf cart man for your golf cart? If you have,is the system better or not compared to the old battery setup ?thanks for any info you have.

[jimbo2012]

What was the $$$ quote???

[kbace6]

Has anyone tried the new lithium battery system from the village golf cart man for your golf cart? If you have,is the system better or not compared to the old battery setup ?thanks for any info you have.

I just checked out this battery system on his website. He, like many others out there is using a BMS. (Battery Management System) I don't care which BMS he has. For this battery chemistry type (LiFePo4) a BMS is just asking for trouble. They all manage the batteries with a technique called "Top Balancing" Although it seems to make sense when pitched, it is not a good idea. I do like his choice in cells however. (CALB)

Also from his website, IMHO he is charging these cells too high. (3.65v) The best way to avoid any overcharge issues and thus a themal runaway problem is to undercharge the cells slightly at 3.55v apiece. This is an age old technique currently employed by Tesla and Nissan. It flat out works!

The best way to use these batteries with this partucular lithium chemistry safely is to use the "Bottom Balance" technique. Here is the problem, and it is why many people in the business of making money like the "Top Balance" technique. Bottom balancing is VERY labor intensive. And then the extra perk with a BMS is, that you get to charge a lot more with a huge mark up on the BMS. The BMS is quite a simple and inexpensive design but can add hundreds to the overall cost of the system.

I would not ever put anything in my garage with a BMS on it!

I think this (LiFePo4) technology is ready for primetime, but in this instance I would say the Villages Golf Cart Man is "in the right church, but the wrong pew".

I hope this helps.

[Waynecarla]

Thanks for the reply. I will just replace with standard batteries for now and wait for the technology to improve before I change things around.rather be safe than sorry.Boeing is having problems in their new planes with lithium batteries.

[kbace6]

Thanks for the reply. I will just replace with standard batteries for now and wait for the technology to improve before I change things around.rather be safe than sorry.Boeing is having problems in their new planes with lithium batteries.

Waynecarla,

Glad I could be of some help.

The technology is there today. But I absolutely agree with your decision. It's more about knowledge and education of a new chemistry.

As an FYI the Boeing lithium chemistry is quite different than the (LiFePo4) cells. Not all lithium chemistries are created equal. It's a shame lithium batteries get a bad wrap. But it is what it is.