The Benefits of Lithium Ion Batteries

Powering today’s technology

Many consumer products on the market today tout their lithium batteries as a selling feature. Is this an actual selling point? Are lithium-powered products really better than those that run on other battery types? The short answer to both questions is, yes, lithium batteries offer major advantages over other battery types with very few drawbacks. Here, we’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of lithium batteries, as well as examine a few types of products that have been improved by incorporating lithium technology.

What is a lithium battery?

Basically, a lithium battery is one that uses lithium ions as a key component of its electrochemistry. In a lithium battery, lithium atoms are ionized and separated from their electrons. The lithium ions then move from the anode through an electrolyte until they reach a cathode, where they reassemble with their electrons.

Higher energy density

One of the greatest advantages of lithium batteries is that they have much higher energy density than other rechargeable battery technologies. Energy density is the amount of energy stored in a given volume or weight, and it’s usually expressed as Wh/kg (watt hours per kilogram). Lithium ion batteries in use today have the highest energy density of any battery technology, usually ranging from 100-265 Wh/kg.[1] Some of the newest lithium EV batteries in development have an even higher energy density of up to 315 Wh/kg and can recharge up to 80% in just 10 minutes.[2] In comparison, lead acid batteries have an energy density ranging from 30-50 Wh/kg, Ni-Cd batteries boast an energy density of 45-80 , and Ni-MH batteries have an energy density of 60-120 Wh/kg.[3]

Lighter and more compact

Due to their higher energy density, lithium ion batteries are lighter and more compact than other battery types. In fact, they make much of today’s technology feasible. Imagine if smartphones weighed 10 lbs. (4.5 kg) instead of the 6.07 oz. (172 g) weight of the iPhone 14.[4] Would they be as ubiquitous as they are now? Without small, lightweight lithium batteries everyone’s life would look very different. So, if you’ve ever slipped a battery-powered device into a pocket, purse, backpack, or glove box, this was largely made possible by the development of lithium ion batteries.

Ideal for high-power applications

Lithium ion battery technology is also advantageous for high-power applications, where a battery needs to deliver large amounts of current, such as jump starting a vehicle. Lithium ion batteries deliver up to 3.6 volts, which in comparison is three times higher than the voltage delivered by Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries.[5]

Recharge faster and hold a charge longer

If you want a device that will recharge quickly and hold a charge for months or years, then look for one powered by a lithium battery. The chemistry of lithium ion batteries allows them to accept current at a faster rate, allowing them to charge much faster than other battery types.[6] For example, charging a lead acid battery might take more than 10 hours where, depending on the battery’s size, a lithium battery can recharge in three hours or even a few minutes.

All battery types will lose charge or self-discharge over time. However, lithium ion batteries have an extremely low discharge rate of only 1.5% to 2% a month. In comparison, lead acid batteries lose about 5% of their charge in a month and nickel-based batteries will lose 10% to 15% of their charge in the first 24 hours and then 10% to 15% a month after that.[7] Practically, this means that if you charge a lithium battery pack and then store it in a drawer for the next year, at the end of the year the battery pack will retain between 76% and 82% of its full charge.

Increased lifespan

Battery lifespans can vary greatly although all batteries will degrade over time and lose effectiveness as they age. Usually measured by battery cycles, lifespans or cycle life are the number of complete charges and discharges a battery can experience before it will no longer hold a charge.[8] Therefore, discharging a battery to 50% and then recharging it to 100% would only count as half of a battery cycle. For example, consider a boat battery. If you compare an SLA battery (a type of lead acid battery often used in boats) to a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery you will get a greatly different total number of charge cycles. The difference in chemistry between the SLA and LiFePO4 battery will result in the SLA battery lasting between 50 and 500 cycles, while the LiFePO4 battery will last from 1,000 to 10,000 cycles.[9]  Many affordable lithium ion batteries used in consumer products ranging from flashlights to speakers will deliver at least 300 to 500 full discharge/charge cycles before the battery’s capacity drops below 80%.[10]

Also extending the lifespan in lithium batteries is the lack of memory effect. Nickel-based rechargeable batteries, for example, will gradually lose their capacity to store energy if they are only partially discharged. The “memory” of the partial discharge reduces the capacity of future chargers and thus negatively impacts battery lifespan.

Lithium batteries also hold the advantage for depth of discharge, which is the percentage of the battery charge that can be safely drained without causing damage to the battery.[11] Lithium batteries can be safely discharged of 85% of their total capacity, while lead acid batteries can’t be discharged past 50% without negatively impacting the battery’s lifespan.[12]

All these factors combined can easily give a lithium battery a lifespan of 10-15 years vs. 3 to 12 years for a lead acid battery.[13]

Disadvantages of lithium batteries

Despite all the advantages lithium batteries possess, they do have a couple of significant drawbacks, namely the increased fire risk and their greater cost.

Because lithium batteries simply contain more energy, they also have more energy to release when something goes wrong. In fact, the higher a battery’s energy density, the more dangerous it has the potential to be.

One of the largest risks of lithium ion batteries is their susceptibility to thermal runaway. In thermal runaway the lithium battery begins an uncontrollable self-heating state, which can result in extremely high temperatures, fire, and even explosion.[14] Depending on a lithium battery’s chemistry, some are more dangerous than others. For example, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are less likely to overheat than other lithium battery chemistries.[15]

Compounding the threat posed by a thermal runaway reaction, the liquid electrolytes used in lithium batteries are highly volatile and increase the risk of fire. That’s why most lithium batteries include built-in safety features and self-imposed limits on just how energy dense they can be.

The other major drawback to lithium batteries is a higher up-front cost than lead acid and other battery types. However, the cost advantages for other battery types can disappear when usage patterns and battery lifespans are factored in

It’s time to switch to lithium batteries

Lead acid batteries were first developed in 1859 and have enjoyed more than 160 years of popularity since.[16] The first viable lithium ion battery was patented more than a century later in 1976.[17] Since the first lithium battery was introduced sales have taken off and lithium batteries have made themselves indispensable to our daily lives. They power our smartphones, laptops, and even our homes. In addition, each year sees improvements to their efficiency, lifespan, and safety, while seeing a decrease in their associated costs. Today’s lithium batteries are superior in almost every way to other commercially available battery types. With this in mind, why would you choose any other battery?

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YouTuber Faye Hadley Demonstrates How to Jump Start a Vehicle with a Portable Lithium Jump Starter

The beloved host of Pistons and PixieDust, Faye Hadley, walks her viewers through jump starting a vehicle using a Schumacher Rugged Lithium portable jump starter. Faye shows viewers how to diagnose a dead battery, how to prevent damage from a reversed connection, and how to choose the right portable jump starter for your needs. Then she demonstrates a successful jump start of a 1996 Toyota Hiace diesel 5-speed, four-wheel drive camper.

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Lithium-Powered Products to Buy Today

For superior power, lifespan, and fast recharging, in a lightweight, compact package, look for lithium-powered consumer products. Here are a few of our top picks.

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[1] “Lithium-Ion Battery,” Clean Energy Institute, University of Washington,  https://www.cei.washington.edu/education/science-of-solar/battery-technology/, Accessed 29 March 2023.

^[2] Kennedy, Ryan, “EV battery has 50% more energy density than traditional lithium-ion, 10-minute charge,” PV Magazine, https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/02/08/ev-battery-has-50-more-energy-density-than-lithium-ion-10-minute-charge/, Accessed 29 March 2023.

[3] “Battery Cell Comparison,” epec Engineered Technologies, https://www.epectec.com/batteries/cell-comparison.html, Accessed 29 March 2023.

[4] “iPhone 14,” Apple Inc., https://www.apple.com/iphone-14/specs/, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[5] “Lithium-Ion Battery,” Clean Energy Institute, University of Washington,  https://www.cei.washington.edu/education/science-of-solar/battery-technology/, Accessed 29 March 2023.

[6] “Spot the Difference: Lithium Ion Versus Lead Acid Battery Electric Technology,” Cummins Inc., https://www.cummins.com/news/2019/06/17/spot-difference-lithium-ion-versus-lead-acid-battery-electric-technology, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[7] “BU-802b: What does Elevated Self-discharge Do?,” Battery University, https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-802b-what-does-elevated-self-discharge-do, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[8] Veldboom, Bryan, “How Do Battery Charging Cycles Work?,” Batteries Plus, https://www.batteriesplus.com/blog/power/battery-discharge-cycle, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[9] Veldboom, Bryan, “How Do Battery Charging Cycles Work?,” Batteries Plus, https://www.batteriesplus.com/blog/power/battery-discharge-cycle, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[10] “BU-801b: How to Define Battery Life,” Battery University, https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-801b-how-to-define-battery-life, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[11] “Lead-acid vs lithium-ion battery comparison,” Energy Sage, https://news.energysage.com/lithium-ion-vs-lead-acid-batteries/, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[12] “Lead-acid vs lithium-ion battery comparison,” Energy Sage, https://news.energysage.com/lithium-ion-vs-lead-acid-batteries/, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[13] “Lead-acid vs lithium-ion battery comparison,” Energy Sage, https://news.energysage.com/lithium-ion-vs-lead-acid-batteries/, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[14] “What Causes Thermal Runaway, Electrochemical Safety Research Institute, UL Research Institutes, https://ul.org/research/electrochemical-safety/getting-started-electrochemical-safety/what-causes-thermal, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[15] Murphy Kelly, Samantha, “Lithium-ion battery fires are happening more often. Here’s how to prevent them,” CNN Business, https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/09/tech/lithium-ion-battery-fires/index.html, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[16] “Can the Lead-acid Battery Compete in Modern Times?,” Battery University, https://batteryuniversity.com/article/can-the-lead-acid-battery-compete-in-modern-times, Accessed 30 March 2023.

[17] “John B. Goodenough,” Fuergy, https://www.fuergy.com/blog/john-b-goodenough-the-inventor-of-the-li-ion-battery, Accessed 30 March 2023.