It’s no surprise that LiFePO4 battery has reached a record high market share at 24% in Q1 2021, and lithium iron phosphate batteries (the full name of LiFePO4 batteries) are believed to dominate the battery market by 2030 in the industry report.
That’s because the LiFePO4 batteries provide an ideal battery solution for a wide range of industries, including boat and fishing, RV and camper, outdoor activities, etc., thanks to their light weight, high efficiency, and long life cycle.
On top of that, lithium iron phosphate batteries are environmentally friendly.
LiFePO4 batteries are unmatched if compared with other types of batteries.
Whether you’ve already done your research about the LiFePO4 batteries (and probably found it overwhelming), or you are new to the battery industry, you will gain some insights here.
This post will explain all ins and outs of the LiFePO4 battery, analyze the benefits of the trendy LFP batteries, and list the best LiFePO4 batteries you can find on the market to help you make an informed decision about your battery solution.
Table of content:
- What Is LiFePO4 Battery (Lithium-ion vs LiFePO4)
- Why LiFePO4 Batteries: Top 7 Benefits
- Best Lithium iron Phosphate Batteries
- Frequently Asked Questions About LFP Battery
- Conclusion: Quick Takeaways
What Is LiFePO4 Battery
Before we dive into details, let’s clarify the definition of LiFePO4 battery to help you better understand its benefits in later parts and keep us on the same page.
So what kind of battery is a LiFePO4?
Simply put, a Lithium iron phosphate battery (abbreviated as LiFePO4 battery or LFP battery) is a newer innovation of battery that contains cathode materials made from lithium iron phosphate. So LiFePO4 is a shortened name that exemplifies its chemical composition.
Lithium-ion vs LiFePO4
Is LiFePO4 the same as lithium ion? Is LiFePO4 better than lithium ion?
You might have similar confusion since LiFePO4 batteries are often mentioned with lithium ion batteries.
In fact, LiFePO4 battery is a type of lithium ion battery, and therefore, you can not say whether LiFePO4 is better than lithium ion batteries.
Lithium ion batteries can be made of various chemistries such as lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium manganese oxide (LMO), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), and the topic of this post, lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
However, it’s true that lithium LiFePO4 battery is better than other lithium ion batteries in terms of safety, lifespan, performance, and cost. That’s why it’s becoming increasingly popular in the global commercial markets.
I will explain the advantages of the LiFePO4 battery in more detail in later parts, so you will know what it means to you in real-life applications.
Why LiFePO4 Battery: Top 7 Benefits
The high cost of batteries used to be an issue when considering investing in an electric vehicle. Lithium-ion batteries could also be a source of concern for catching fires, especially when applied to large battery banks.
Not anymore with the LiFePO4 battery.
LFP batteries promise less cost, less weight, a longer life, and other amazing features you will love. It’s a comparison result from other lithium ions vs LiFePO4 vs lead acid.
Let’s check them out!
High Efficiency
The LiFePO4 battery is highly efficient with higher usable capacity compared with the lead-acid battery. That’s especially true when lithium iron phosphate batteries are used to power vehicles with a high discharge rate, such as electric boats.
That’s to say, you will require more lead-acid batteries (two batteries should be a reasonable estimate) to achieve the same Ah performances powered by a single LFP battery, even though they are labeled with the same battery capacity.
This happens due to the fact that LiFePO4 batteries have better discharge and charge efficiency, and they are able to maintain high performances even in a deep cycle.
Here is a video that compares LiFePO4 battery vs Lead Acid.
Less Weight
Lightweight is a huge advantage of the LFP battery.
Compared with lead-acid batteries, LFP batteries can achieve up to 70% less weight (with 50% more capacity at the same time). Compared with other lithium ion batteries, such as the previously mentioned LMO batteries, LiFePO4 batteries are around 50% less weight.
You will have a strong sense of the weight savings when you are transporting the batteries to your boat or trying to trim weight off the rear-end of a heavy truck camper.
The reduced weight also means reduced size! That’s to say, the LiFePO4 battery gives you smaller battery packs and saves your precious space in whatever intended applications.
Longer Life Cycle
The long lifespan is another popular label (selling point) for the lithium iron phosphate battery.
With a general 2000 – 4000 cycle lifespan (depending on battery brands), LiFePO4 batteries are a clear winner compared to lead acid batteries, which generally last 500 times cycles.
And this up to 4000 cycle life is calculated based on 100% depth of discharge (Yes, LFP is deep cycle LiFePO4 battery), and you will get more cycle life with less DoD.
Safe to Use
As a newer innovation of the lithium iron battery family (only 25 years since its birth), the LiFePO4 battery was born to solve the safety problem complained about by many potential users. No worries about the alarming fire issue anymore.
Thanks to its superior thermal and chemical stability, the LiFePO4 battery is safe to use.
To be more specific, the lithium iron phosphate battery bond is stronger than the cobalt-oxide bond. That’s to say, the phosphate-oxide bond will remain stable structurally even when the battery is overcharged or subject to physical damage such as collision or short-circuiting.
LiFePO4 batteries simply won’t explode or catch fire, providing you with extra peace of mind, especially if you plan to use the LFP batteries in hazardous or unstable environments.
Bonus: The BMS system also promises the safety of your rechargeable LiFePO4 battery with over-current, over/under-voltage, and low/high-temp cutoff protection.
Cost Effective
The cost seems to be an unfavorable point for lithium lifepo4 batteries when you compare the price between other types of batteries.
However, remember that there is no maintenance required for LiFePO4 batteries, and the lifespan is also a big advantage to justify the cost.
It’s true that LiFePO4 batteries are not the cheapest in the market, but due to a long life span and zero maintenance, it’s the best investment you can make over time. For example, the ePropulsion LiFePO4 battery is calculated to offer a unit price as low as $0.50 per Wh.
In the long run, you will have significant lifetime cost savings with LFP batteries.
Environmental Friendly
A big drawback of other types of batteries is the environmental risks. For example, the widely concerned leakage caused by the lead-acid batteries. Other lithium ion batteries using cathodes with nickel and cobalt are also reported to produce high environmental impacts.
By contrast, LFP batteries are cobalt-free and heavy metal free, making it an environmentally friendly choice.
That’s a big reason why the LiFePO4 battery is getting popular these days. The increasing environmental concerns have made lithium iron phosphate batteries a top choice for outdoor industries (including marine and camper uses).
Extreme Temperature Adaptability
LiFePO4 batteries are proven to perform well even in extreme temperatures from -20°C to 70°C, making them a good choice in diverse operating environments.
LA batteries are advertised to be temperature resilient (-40°C to 120°C), but you will see a significant drop in performance when they are used at extreme temperature conditions.
Other benefits of LiFePO4 batteries include the Bluetooth function that allows you to monitor the battery’s state without additional components, and the flexibility to build capacity (but try to avoid mixing different LFP battery brands).
Best LiFePO4 Batteries
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are the best solution for your leisure and commercial boating applications, RV and campers, outdoor activities, off-grid uses, or simply as a power backup.
So who makes the best lithium iron phosphate battery packs?
Here is a list of the best LiFePO4 batteries hand-picked by our editors with a comprehensive comparison between different brands and platforms.
You will find the best 12V/24V/36V/48V LiFePO4 battery at the best price. Pay attention to the battery capacity (100Ah, 200Ah, or larger) for your specific needs.
Lithium iron Phosphate Batteries FAQ
Having read this far, I bet you already have a clear idea about the lithium iron phosphate battery cells.
Here I also collect a list of frequently asked questions about the LFP batteries with quick answers for your easy reference, in case you share the same confusion:
#1. Can you overcharge a LiFePO4 battery?
The short answer is NO. Even if the LFP battery is safe to use, overcharging it can cause permanent damage to the lithium iron phosphate battery cell and void the warranty. The BMS system also needs to work in a normal operating voltage range.
#2. Can you mix different brands of LiFePO4 batteries?
Yes, in theory, but it can be hard to operate in reality. The thing is you need to make sure the LiFePO4 batteries from different brands have the same chemistry, voltage, capacity, internal resistance, discharge characteristics, etc.
Any disparate characteristic of an individual LFP battery will impact the performance of the lithium iron phosphate battery pack together, making it liable to safety issues and less efficient.
Therefore, it’s not recommended to mix different brands of LiFePO4 batteries.
#3. How long can LiFePO4 batteries be stored?
LiFePO4 battery maintenance is minimal for long-term storage. If you want to store your LiFePO4 batteries for a long time of no use (over three months), it’s advised to charge them to 50% and to make sure the batteries hold their charge every two or three months.
Also, pay attention to the temperature during long-term storage. Keep your LFP batteries at a temperature between -20 °C to 45 °C (three months) or -20 °C to 25 °C (6 months storage).
#4. Hong long will a LiFePO4 solar battery last?
Generally speaking, a LiFePO4 battery can last over ten years. It can last 3000 – 5000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge.
Conclusion
“l have been doing so much reading on Lifepo4 prismatic cells, I’ve started to get an information overload.”
If you feel the same, here is a quick recap of the essential facts about LiFePO4 batteries:
- LiFePO4 battery (lithium iron phosphate battery or LFP battery) is a type of lithium ion battery that provides a lot of benefits compared with lithium ion batteries made with other chemistries.
- LiFePO4 batteries are lightweight: 70% lighter than lead acid counterparts and 50% lighter than the other comparable lithium ion batteries.
- LFP battery is safe to use with high thermal and chemical stability.
- LiFePO4 promises less cost from longer life cycles (2000 – 4000 times) and zero maintenance investment.
- High efficiency with larger usable capacity.
- LiFePO4 batteries are environmentally friendly.
Hopefully, this article is helpful to you, and you are very welcome to leave a comment and share your ideas about the LiFePO4 battery.