Electric Bikes - Lithium v/s SLA---costs, sizes, range?

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PJIII
03-08-10, 08:30 AM
I am trying to come to some understanding of lithium and SLA by asking for equivalencies of the two.

For example: 4-33 amphr SLA's costing $320 used @ 24 volts give "X" miles of range.

What lithium batteries will give the same range as the SLA's and what is their cost?

I am not considering the life----just the initial cash outlay which @ this point is more important.

Can anyone shed some light on this---I am trying to understand for my upcoming build. I plan on a

500 watt 24 V motor and need 16 to 20 miles of range out of the trike I am planning to build.

Thanks for your help

crackerdog
03-08-10, 10:28 AM
Figure 1ah per mile of range you need for LifePO batteries. Price varies.
morph999
03-08-10, 01:45 PM
A 33 AH SLA battery is probably equivalent to a 20AH lithium battery because of the peurkert effect in SLA batteries. You'll only get about 20 AH of usable power out of a 33 AH SLA battery. In lithium you get 90 - 95 % of the usable capacity because of the flat line discharge rate of lithium. The voltage remains relatively constant in lithium upon discharge but in SLA, the voltage drops and drops the more you use it so by the time it's 70 % used, it's basically a worthless battery and has to be recharged.

PJIII
03-15-10, 07:35 AM
Thanks--that is about what I am coming to understand---wish I could afford 4-lith 20 amphrs + charger & balancers