Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery

Whether it is an electric motorcycle or a fuel-powered motorcycle, batteries are not only a part of the shortage. Spending hundreds of dollars to buy lead-acid batteries or thousands of dollars to buy lithium batteries has always made car owners hesitant.  Lithium motorcycle batteries are the crystallization of absolute high-tech, but are they worth the money we spend on lead-acid motorcycle batteries?

The answer is YES.  We are going to talk about the reasons in seven aspects.

There below is a simple chart about their comparasion, you can get their differences quickly

Then we will show you a detailed comparasion

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery—CYCLE LIFE

As we all known that, Lead-acid batteries can last for 500 to 1000 service cycles under optimal conditions.  But in practical applications, 100-300 cycles are more typical.  The lithium battery will run for 2,000 cycles without problems, and some lithium batteries can rise to 5,000 cycles under correct use and maintenance.  In other words, the use time of several lead-acid batteries can be compared with that of a lithium battery. This means that lithium batteries are indeed excellent value for money.

At present, there are many new models on the motorcycle market, most of them use lithium batteries with a battery range of 100 kilometers.  Moreover, many electric motorcycles have a range of 300-600 kilometers.  This kind of vehicle can meet the needs of long-distance travel and takeaway delivery personnel. In terms of battery life, lithium batteries are very suitable for high-endurance electric vehicles.  At present, almost all electric vehicles with a battery life of more than 80 kilometers are equipped with lithium batteries.

Therefore, lithium motorcycle battery is better than Lead-acid motorcycle in the aspects of cycle life.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery—SELF DISCHARGE

Lithium batteries have a very low self-discharge rate. Lithium-ion batteries self-discharge at a rate of around 0. 5-3% per month,depending on battery chemistry, environment,BMS etc.  Strikingly, they discharge very fast while they are still fully charged.  For a fully charged lithium battery or lithium cell, then it will lose 5-10% of its charge over the next month until it reaches 80% state of charge.  Under SOC of 30%-80%, the battery has most steady performance, around 0. 5% or even less self discharging rate.

Lithium batteries have a very low self-discharge rate, losing only about 10% of their charge per year.  Compared with lead-acid, lead-acid loses about 1% of its charge per day.

Therefore, lithium motorcycle battery is better than Lead-acid motorcycle in the aspects of low self discharge.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery—BATTERY RUNTIME

The more you use your lithium motorcycle battery, the stronger it is.  Lead-acid batteries will ‘dead’ when their battery capacity is only 50%-70% left. Once Lead-acid motorcycle batteries reach this “dead” point, the lead-acid batteries will no longer work. However, for lithium batteries, on the other hand, can be completely discharged until the battery capacity is finally empty, so they can provide faster and more powerful energy.

Therefore, lithium motorcycle battery is better than Lead-acid motorcycle in the aspects of battery run time.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery–WEIGHT

Lithium is the lightest metal, so lithium batteries also have an extremely light weight. We can effectively reduce the weight of the motorcycle by using lightweight lithium batteries, so that the motorcycle can perform better.

As a rising star of lithium batteries, it has a complementary relationship with lead-acid batteries.  Lithium batteries are durable, small in size and light in weight.  The weight of lead-acid batteries is generally about 30~70 kg.  The larger the ampere, the heavier the weight.  The weight of lithium batteries is generally from a few kilograms to 20 kilograms, and the general weight of lithium batteries of the same capacity is one-third that of lead-acid batteries. In terms of durability, lithium batteries are generally about twice the life of lead-acid batteries.

Therefore, lithium motorcycle battery is better than Lead-acid motorcycle in the aspects of battery weight.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery—SAFFETY

Due to the internal structure and manufacturing process of lithium batteries, the performance and safety are not as good as lead-acid batteries. Improper charging may cause “thermal runaway”, which deteriorates the safety performance of lithium batteries, resulting in fire and explosion accidents.

One of the characteristics of lead-acid batteries is high temperature resistance. The main material of lead-acid batteries does not have the characteristics of fire and explosion.  Safety tests and long-term use by millions of people have shown that the stability of lead-acid batteries is very good. In the case of high temperature caused by charging or use, there is generally no safety hazard, it is not easy to burn, and the safety is high.

For the aspects of battery safety, Lead-acid motorcycle battery is better than Lithium Motorcycle Battery. Nevertheless, although lithium batteries will catch fire and explode, as long as the lithium batteries are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, the possibility of lithium batteries burning and exploding is also very low.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery–WARRANTY

Most lithium batteries have a 3-year warranty, while most lead-acid batteries have a shorter warranty period or shorter than lithium batteries.

Therefore, lithium motorcycle battery is better than Lead-acid motorcycle in the aspects of warranty.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery VS Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery—ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY

Lead-acid batteries not only contain lead and lead-acid liquid, but also contain heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, nickel, and electrolyte solutions such as acids and Alkali. These substances may directly or indirectly pose a threat to human health and the natural environment.  Therefore, lead-acid batteries are classified as hazardous waste by the state and belong to the category of hazardous waste.

It must be said that compared with lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries will hardly cause harm to the environment and will not leak those harmful substances.

Lithium Motorcycle Battery? or Lead-acid Motorcycle Battery?

Although the advantages of lithium batteries are the reason why most drivers choose lithium batteries, it is not possible to meet everyone’s requirements. In some cases, the benefits of lead-acid batteries are not ruled out.

Obviously, firstly, if we are pursuing cost savings, then lithium batteries are far more expensive than lead-acid batteries in terms of cost. In the short term, it is better for us to choose lead-acid batteries.

Secondly, lithium motorcycle batteries require specific chargers to achieve the required charging voltage, so different types of lithium batteries need to use different charging equipment.

Finally, if you don’t want to warm up the vehicle on a cold day, maybe lithium motorcycle batteries are not suitable for you.

The raw materials of lead-acid batteries are relatively abundant compared to lithium batteries.  The manufacturing process and material cost of lead-acid batteries are relatively low

Therefore, the sales price of lead-acid batteries is relatively low, so the price of the entire lead-acid motorcycle is also low, and the price of electric vehicle batteries with lead-acid batteries is three or four times lower than that of lithium batteries.

Electric vehicles with lead-acid batteries can run for tens of kilometers when fully charged, which can basically meet the short-distance travel needs of most people.

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