Lithium-Ion Batteries, Part 2: What You Need to Know Now

Lithium Battery Management and Charging

Lithium-ion batteries are protected by built-in Battery Management Systems (BMS) that prevent over or under-voltage, over-current, high-temperature or external short-circuiting during charging.

Most lead-acid battery chargers will recharge lithium-ion batteries without issues. AGM and GEL charge profiles typically fall within the voltage limits of a lithium iron phosphate battery. 

There are numerous chargers now designed specifically for lithium-ion batteries. A 20-amp charger will recharge 100-amp 12-volt lithium in about five hours. Prices are around $200 for the 20 amp models and $250 for 24-volt units.

The Price of Lithium Batteries

When it comes to price, a 98 Ah Group 31 lead-acid battery like the Interstate SRM-31, weighing just under 60 pounds and with a 12-month warranty retails for around $160.

A lithium-ion deep-cycle battery like the Dakota Lithium 100 AH weighs about 32 pounds, and with an 11-year warranty retails for around $900. The price includes a battery management system and a suitable 20 amp lithium-ion charger.

While lithium-ion batteries are obviously more expensive to start with, their cost amortized over the life span is considerably lower than the cost of conventional batteries. 

And prices are likely to come down as more and more competitors enter the marketplace.

With a large bank of high output lithium-ion batteries, it’s now possible for some boats to offer air-conditioning, cooking and heat in the “house” without relying on a generator except for very brief periods daily. 

While the initial investment can be high, the savings in generator fuel over the eight- to 10-year life span of the lithium-ion batteries can more than makeup for their cost, to say nothing of the huge advantage of rarely having to run a noisy, fume-producing generator—in the case of boats with increasingly efficient solar and wind generators, no gas or diesel generator may be needed. 

Lithium for the Future

Worldwide demand for lithium was about 350,000 tons (317,517 metric tons) in 2020, but industry estimates project demand will be up to six times greater by 2030. 

Much of the world's lithium comes from Chile, Australia and China. China dominates the worldwide supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. 

China has three-fourths of the lithium-ion battery mega factories in the world according to the International Energy Agency. Given the occasionally bristling relationship between East and West, there’s now a push for the U.S. to develop mining, processing and manufacturing facilities to handle the future where lithium-based batteries may run practically everything now run by petroleum derivatives. 

New and potential lithium mining and extracting projects are in various stages of development in Maine, North Carolina, California and Nevada.

The U.S. produces less than 2% of the world's supply of lithium, although it has about 4% of the reserves. 

Expanding domestic lithium production would involve open pit mining or brine extraction, which involves pumping a mineral-rich brine to the surface and processing it. Opponents including the Sierra Club have raised concerns that the projects could harm sacred Indigenous lands and jeopardize fragile ecosystems and wildlife.

But the projects could also benefit the environment in the long run by getting fossil fuel-burning cars off the road.

California's largest lake, the Salton Sea, is primed to host lithium operations. Lithium can be extracted from geothermal brine, and the Salton Sea has been the site of geothermal plants that have pumped brine for decades. 

Proponents of extracting lithium from the lake say it would require less land and water than other brining operations and would be less controversial than open-pit mining elsewhere

One project, led by EnergySource Minerals, is expected to be operational next year, a spokesperson for the company said. General Motors Corp. is also an investor in another project on the Salton Sea that could start producing lithium by 2024.

Europe is also seeking an independent lithium supply. Portuguese energy company Galp and Swedish electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt have announced a joint venture to build in Portugal what they say will be Europe's largest lithium conversion plant. 

The goal is for the plant to deliver enough lithium hydroxide to provide batteries for about 700,000 electric vehicles a year starting in 2026.

But many on the side of caution also note that the damage due to lithium mining would be far offset by the reduction in necessary petroleum production and the resultant air pollution when it is burned. 

Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries are favored for marine use because they do not contain cobalt, commonly used in electric car batteries and by far the most expensive element in lithium-ion battery production. 

Cobalt also is linked to child labor issues at the mines in Africa and can be “thermally unstable’ in some situations, causing fires. 

The elements for Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are readily available in the U.S., inexpensive, easily processed and thermally stable. These appear to be the future for marine batteries and others where extreme range and minimal weight are not critical.