At Battery Joe, we’re fans of environmental sustainability and we don’t hide it! Each of our stores is outfitted with a battery recycling station, we offer a full selection of rechargeable batteries, and we’ve got technicians that can rebuild battery packs to give them a second life, all to help cut down on waste. Another less obvious way to be environmentally conscious with battery power is to invest in Lithium Ion battery technology. Since we’re battery nerds, we love keeping up with the latest advances in power technology and some of the most exciting breakthroughs in battery power over the last 30 years have been in creating consumer safe Lithium Ion products. Nowadays, Lithium Ion batteries are safer, longer lasting, and more powerful than the traditional battery.
Lithium Ion batteries have been used widely since the 1980s and, since then, there has been a lot of talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the technology. Here, we give you the top three reasons we think Lithium power is well worth investing in, be it for your cars, tools, or electronics.
Lithium is Powerful.
Because of its high energy density, a Lithium battery can last up to 10X longer than a traditional type battery like alkaline or NiCd. The significantly increased power density makes Lithium an ideal power source for a variety of applications from cell phones, laptops and power tools to electric vehicles and industrial equipment.
Lithium is Efficient.
Lithium Ion Batteries do not require priming and can charge and discharge energy more rapidly than traditional power cells. They are also quite efficient in high stress situations, as quick fluctuations in temperature and energy depletion have little effect on the power output of the battery.
Lithium is Safe.
Lithium is made from light metals making the recycling and redistribution both easy and cost effective, reducing financial and operational burdens of recycling, and disposing of Lead Acid Batteries. Lithium Ion technology is not only making strides in environmental safety, but also in personal safety. Many modern Lithium Ion Batteries have built-in safety features that reduce risk of fire and explosion.
Some Things to Consider: Now, we couldn’t expect you to make any kind of informed decision if all we do is extol the virtues of Lithium Batteries without presenting a few of the downsides.
Lithium is expensive. You will pay about 40% more up front, but the investment will pay off in the long run. Part of the reason it is so much more expensive is each lithium battery must have an on board computer to manage the battery.
Lithium Batteries suffer from aging. A Lithium battery will begin to degrade as soon as it leaves the factory. Its aging process is not only a product of time, but also of the amount of charging cycles it goes through as well as the temperature it is stored.
The technology is still developing. Consumer lithium ion batteries are a relatively new technology. This can be a disadvantage in that development and execution do not remain constant. However, this can also be an advantage as better solutions are developed frequently.
We hope this provides a solid, though brief, knowledge base for learning about Lithium Ion Power. Below we’ve provided some great links that give a more comprehensive overview of uses, advantages, and even how the technology works.