Lithium Ion battery in 2016 ACR

[3whitevipers]

Does anyone have any info on the the lithium ion battery in the new ACR? I've ordered a new ACR and was wondering about battery life and I was wondering if the battery fits in the standard size Viper battery box? One reason for the question is to determine if, down the road, a regular battery could be used as a replacement for the lithium battery. Thanks--Dave

 

[911-AL]

Hey Dave,

How long did they say for your order from deposit to delivery? What dealer did you use?

Al

 

[MoparMap]

I'd wonder if it isn't just a different brand. I know Braille makes some really lightweight race batteries (used one in formula SAE back in college) and I think their lightweight is due to lithium-ion construction. I wouldn't think they would change the battery tray for just an ACR, but you never know. Assuming it is the same I'd think as long as you have similar power capability you could use a conventional battery without issue.

 

[3whitevipers]

I'm told a 3-4month wait--I used John Gastman at Roanoke Motors. I know John--bought my 2010 from him. His service is wonderful.
Thanks for the replies--I'm thinking the same thing that the battery box will be the same--just a different battery construction.--Dave

 

[johniew398]

Lithium Batteries:

Looks like you can get them in regular size but they certainly aren't cheap.

http://www.jegs.com/p/Lithium-Pros/Lithium-Pros-12-Volt-Lithium-Batteries/1770167/10002/-1

 

[pitdad]

12VDC is 12VDC as far as the car is concerned.

Amp/Hour ratings need to be equal or greater. Battery life certainly looks longer on the lithium battery. Looks like weight difference is significant.

Wikipedia says the average weight for a car battery is 39 pounds. The heaviest lithium battery on the Jegs site is 15 lbs.

Looks like a cost versus weight decision to me.

EBAY says:

Advantages of Lithium Car Batteries
The key advantage of lithium car batteries is that they are very lightweight, compared to heavier lead-acid batteries. Early electric cars used lead-acid batteries because lithium batteries were not well-developed at the time, but the extra weight meant that these cars were slow and inefficient. The development of lithium batteries allowed electric cars to perform almost as well as conventionally powered vehicles, with much better ranges thanks to the lithium battery's low weight.



Disadvantages of Lithium Car Batteries
The major disadvantage of lithium car batteries is that they cost much more than lead-acid batteries. Although the price of lithium batteries has reduced since the early days of their development, this cost is still significant for auto manufacturers.



Advantages of Lead-Acid Car Batteries
Lead-acid car batteries are much cheaper than lithium batteries, but they are rarely used as the main source of power in modern electric cars due to their extra weight. However, the accessory battery in an electric car is usually a lead-acid battery. This battery is much smaller than the car's main battery, so the extra weight is less important. Also, there are a huge variety of 12-volt lead-acid batteries available for auto manufacturers to buy and use. Relatively few producers offer 12-volt lithium batteries, and the lack of competition means that prices are high.



Disadvantages of Lead-Acid Car Batteries
As well as being heavy, lead-acid car batteries also have environmental drawbacks. Lead is toxic and needs to be handled very carefully to avoid polluting the environment. Lead batteries also have shorter theoretical life spans than lithium batteries, which means that car owners are more likely to need to replace them.


Looks like the lithium battery should last for awhile. Enjoy the new car.

 

[3whitevipers]

I deeply appreciate the feedback--another great reason why I value the VCA!!
I talked with John Gastman who told me that the battery box is the same on an ACR which would mean a standard battery could be used, however the aforementioned weight issues would be involved.
I wonder if a standard trickle charger can be used on the lithium battery. I keep all the cars on trickle chargers which has worked out very well. Again thanks for the input--Dave

 

[pitdad]

You can use a charger / tender, but it has to be specifically for a LI battery.

A fully charged lithium-ion battery can sit for a year or more and still retain adequate starting capacity, without damaging the battery. As such, any vehicle that has no current flowing when the key is OFF should never need a tender. However, newer vehicles may have a significant draw even when the key is OFF, to maintain clocks, computers, navigation, pumps etc.

For maximum battery life and performance for vehicles that might not be used very often or have a vehicle drain, you can either attach a charger/tender, or disconnect the negative cable from the battery.

LI battery manufacturers do NOT recommend using lead acid chargers for (LiFePO4) batteries. Lead acid batteries charge at 2.30V to 2.45V per cell whereas (LiFePO4) batteries require 3.60V per cell. Your battery would potentially be undercharged, so you will not get use of the full capacity of the (LiFePO4) battery, nor will balancing be triggered in the LiFePo battery pack, both of which are not desired. Furthermore, the floating charge of the lead acid charger is not expected by the battery and can cause problems. Lead Acid trickle chargers should not be used. Use only acharger that is designed for LI batteries.

I'd chat with the dealer about preferred charging methods.

Good luck.

 

[ViperJeff]

Good to know, I love learning new things, Thank You

 

[3whitevipers]

pitdad--
Thanks so much for your wealth of knowledge--God I love the VCA!!
I talked more with John Gastman at Roanoke Motors-- He told me that the Gen 5 has, in effect, a battery cut off mode that drastically reduces battery drain compared to the drain in my Gen 3 and Gen 4. Based on your info, the lithium ion battery would be just fine without a trickle charger. Again thanks so much for sharing your knowledge--Dave