A reliable starting battery is a crucial part of any touring vehicle build and with many options on the market it can be a tough decision to determine what's right for you. 

In this Cruisemasterclass, Andrew has a chat with Nathan from MegaLife about some of the benefits of lithium starter batteries and their ideal applications.

Cruisemasterclass Episode 12: MegaLife Batteries

Benefits of Mega-Life Lithium Starter Batteries

Weight Benefits of Lithium Starter Batteries

One of the main benefits of lithium starter batteries is weight savings, with weights typically around one third of regular AGM or lead acid style batteries. An example of this is the M70 battery, an equivalent lead acid battery weighs 20-25kg with the lithium battery weighing just under 10kg. 

Lithium starter batteries are able to achieve this lightweight status due to the difference in chemistry and not relying on heavy lead to store electricity. 

With front axle capacities needed to be taken into consideration, these weight savings are beneficial on tow vehicles, particularly if you are looking to install aftermarket accessories such as bull bars, lights & winches.

Battery Management System

Another key feature of Mega-Life batteries is the battery monitoring gear included in the battery. This BMS (Battery Management System) handles high voltage, low voltage and over currents, it will also take care of cell balancing and other safety features. 

Mega-life batteries features a reserve battery pack with an additional BMS to allow for inbuilt push button jump starts, similar to that of lithium jump packs.

Battery Capacity

The M70's main cell has a rating of 50 amp hours, which in the four wheel drive world might seem low for its size, however the BMS is setup to use 100 percent of the capacity. In comparison to lead acid or AGM batteries which are recommended to only discharge 50 percent of their capacity to prevent battery damage. 

With their chemistry, lithium batteries are able to discharge 100 percent of the amp hour rating with out causing any damage.

Lithium Battery Cycles

MegaLife are seeing battery life of between 1500 and 2000 cycles, which is a large increase compared with lead acid batteries typically reaching between 300 to 700 cycles. This prolonged battery life cycle is due to the chemistry of Lithium batteries providing a lot more usable capacity over its life time.

Cold Cranking AMPS

A lot more power is able to be pulled out of lithium batteries as there is less resistance of having to push current through the lid. On the larger MegaLife Batteries the main cell will have about 1300 cold cranking amps, this provides a noticeable difference when starting vehicles with reliable and quick starts. 

The built in reserve cell also has high cold cranking amps, so even though it doesn't have the same capacity of the main cell, it has enough power to get you started if you happen to flatten your main cell.

Safety of Lithium Ion Under-Bonnet Batteries

Lithium batteries in general have been a contentious issue in the past with some people concerned to install them under bonnets. There are a few different varieties of lithium batteries, with MegaLife making use of lithium-ion phosphate cells, which are generally considered the safest of lithium cells. 

The MegaLife built in battery management system (BMS) acts as an additional level of protection which takes care of any under or high voltages along with a temperature cut off. This BMS also assists in cell balancing and short circuit protection. 

The battery casing also contributes to its safety with a hard ABS case, the battery pack is fitted with the BMS on top then placed inside of this case. This is then filled with expandable foam which helps against vibration and provides extra heat insulation. This allows MegaLife to warrant their batteries up to 80 degrees under bonnet temperature.

With the completely sealed battery system MegaLife Batteries have passed a IPX8 water rating, making them suitable and durable in Australian conditions. MegaLife batteries have also passed the UN 38.3 test which checks everything from electromagnetic frequencies, a 10 meter drop test, the boxes they ship in to how they're isolated.

Warranty & Life Expectancy

MegaLife offer a 3 year full replacement warranty on their batteries to give buyers lasting confidence. As with many manufacturers there are conditions to this warranty with the main one being temperature, with a temp sticker on top of them that flag off when operated outside of the range. 

With the large amount of battery cycles, MegaLife batteries have an expected service life of 6 to 10 years, which is up to 5 times that of the life expectancy of lead acids.

Charging Lithium Ion Batteries

The alternator on a car is the perfect charging method for lithium batteries, with the AC that comes out of an alternator coming in the form of a constant voltage charge. This should be between 13.8 and 14.6 volts at a constant current & voltage. The BMS comes in use again taking care of under or over voltage and cell balancing. 

Lithium batteries also benefit from a longer shelf life, with a lower discharge rate compared to that of lead acids, resolving the need to trickle charge.

Lithium Battery Cost

Lithium batteries in general are more expensive than their lead acid battery counterparts. However; they tend to provide greater overall value and are an alternative to other battery setups. 

Using a lithium battery can be a cheaper alternative to a dual battery setup as they are a simple drop in without having to purchase an additional battery and tray, along with no installation, wiring and bc to dc charger costs. 

Lithium batteries can also be a replacement to deep cycle batteries, which in some cases can be double the price. However with the lithium batteries life cycle 3 times longer, they provide better value in the long run. 

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