Lead acid v/s Lithium-ion batteries

Why did we choose kid’s electric cars powered by Lithium-Ion batteries over normal batteries?

Keeping the pace with advancement in technology and taking an initiative to create more environmentally safer products, Beneoshop introduces a new range of kids electric vehicles with Lithium-Ion batteries. Follow the article below to understand in detail about Lithium-Ion (LI) batteries how this switch will impact both the people and the environment.

What are Lithium-Ion batteries?

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that utilizes lithium ions to transfer charge between the anode and cathode during charging and discharging.

The characteristics of LI batteries are:

Higher energy density
Long cycle life
Wider operating temperature range

These characteristics make them a more suitable substitute in various devices ranging from power portable electronic devices like cell phones, laptops, and tablets, as well as electric vehicles, including cars, buses, and even scooters.

Along with these, they are also used in renewable energy, power tools and even medical devices.

How are Lithium Ion batteries designed and constructed?

A special emphasis has been given on the careful design of LI batteries, specifically engineered for efficiency, safety and long life. Its design is one of the main and biggest reasons why they perform better than traditional lead-acid batteries, especially in kid’s electric cars.

An easy-to-understand and a detailed breakdown of LI batteries is as given below:

Fundamental components

The core components of LI batteries contain light-weight materials like lithium compounds and graphite which are connected to advanced connectors and sealed multi-layer casings unlike lead-acid batteries that rely on heavy lead plates and corrosive sulfuric acid which results in a lot of drawbacks.

Cell construction

The cell construction of LI batteries are built in compact and a high-efficient formats like cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch cells each of which is designed for maximum space utilization, light-weight and an excellent performance while lead-acid batteries have bulky sealed cells which can be flooded too with heavy lead plates immersed in acid making them heavier and more space occupying leading to a poor performance.

Advanced design

LI batteries come with a safety lock of a 3-layer protective design which work together to prevent leaks, adjusts to different temperature changes, and shields the battery from bumps to moisture. In contrast to this, lead-acid batteries have a typical single plastic casing which can cause severe harm if damaged like leaking acid or releasing fumes.

Battery Management System

LI batteries has an integrated battery management system which timely monitors voltage, temperature and charge levels preventing the battery from overcharging and overheating. This provides safety to every cell resulting in extended battery and protection. While lead-acid batteries lack such an advancement, relying on manual care providing an uneven performance.

Why is the world shifting from lead acid to lithium ion batteries?

Lithium ion batteries provide a range of benefits over lead acid batteries as mentioned below. These are the reasons why the world prefers new technology lead acid batteries.

Better energy efficiency

LI batteries store more energy in less space as compared to lead-acid batteries, which means they waste less energy during each charging and discharging cycle giving better performance and longer run time.

Longer life cycle

LI batteries can run up to 1000+ charge cycles which means approximately 3-5 years of use compared to lead-acid batteries which run for 200-300 cycles giving only 1 year of use after which one can see a noticeable decline.

Light-weight and compact

LI batteries are up to 70% lighter in weight than lead-acid which provides a better speed, efficiency and handling power to appliances ranging from portable devices to big vehicles. In kid’s electric vehicles, the use of LI batteries reduces the strain on the motor and improves safety.

Faster charging time

LI batteries take 2-4 hours for a full charge as compared to lead-acid batteries which take up to 8-12 hours or sometimes even more. This saves a lot of time in today’s fast paced world.

Consistent power delivery

LI batteries maintain steady voltage until they are almost fully discharged. While LI batteries retain their power when not in use, lead-acid batteries lose power gradually causing them to perform slowly before they die. This leads to a weaker performance from lead-acid batteries as compared to LI.

Low maintenance

As LI batteries are sealed, they require no water topping or no corrosion checks as compared to lead-acid batteries which lose water so you require to open the battery timely and refill it. Therefore, LI batteries give maintenance and hassle free usage.

Temperature tolerance

There is a vast difference between the chemical reaction in lead-acid batteries as compared to LI batteries where the performance of lead-acid batteries decline as much as 30-50% in freezing temperatures as compared to LI batteries which contains compounds that allow ions to move easily even in low temperature so when the season is extremely cold, it will still give a much higher percentage of capacity compared to lead-acid.

Environmentally safe

Lead-acid batteries contain three substances. 1) lead which is a heavy toxic metal that can result in serious environmental and health issues if not properly recycled. 2) Sulfuric acid which is highly corrosive, dangerous to handle and very harmful if leaked in soil or water. 3) Plastic casing which can degrade over time causing leaks.

On the other hand, LI batteries contain these substances: 1) Lithium which is a lot less toxic than lead and is recyclable. 2) Metals like cobalt, nickel and manganese which can be recycled and reused in new batteries. 3) Aluminium and Copper which again are both fully recyclable. 4) LI batteries have a 3-layer safety seal whose functioning is as mentioned below:

First, it has an internal cell casing which secures the active materials and electrolytes.
Second, it contains a protective heat-resistant film which prevents external damage and adds insulation.
Lastly, it has a hard outer shell which shields the battery from shocks and moisture.

Why Beneoshop switched to LI batteries

The use of LI batteries in kid’s electric cars has a range of advantages over lead-acid batteries as mentioned below:

Longer play time per charge

Kids can ride their electric vehicles for 30-50% longer with each charge cycle as compared to lead-acid batteries.

Faster charging

It takes 2-4 hours for a LI battery to charge unlike lead-acid batteries which take 8-12 hours to charge resulting in faster charging.

Lightweight and easy to handle

LI batteries are 70% lighter than lead-acid batteries which makes it easier for kids to drive and parents to carry around.

Consistent speed

The steady power delivered by LI batteries until the battery runs out gives a high performance drive without slowing down halfway through play.

Longer battery life

LI batteries has 1000+ charge cycles which lasts 3-5 years as compared to the heavy use of lead-acid which has 200-300 charge cycles lasting for around a year.

Maintenance free

Kids can enjoy a smooth and safe ride for years without the need of topping up water or corrosion cleaning.

Better temperature tolerance

LI batteries perform well in any kind of temperature giving your kids a consistent performance in every season, even in snow.

Built-in safety

The 3-layered sealed design in LI battery protects the circuits by preventing leaks, overcharging and short-circuits giving your kids the utmost safety.

More Eco-friendly

LI batteries contain fewer toxic materials as compared to lead-acid batteries making it easier to recycle and safer for the environment.

These advantages are proven to be cost effective, environment friendly and a safer performance option for both parents and kids, hence Beneoshop now manufactures ride on vehicles with Lithium-Ion batteries.