The main difference between lead-ion vs. lithium-ion forklift batteries is the type of material used to create them. Lithium-ion forklift batteries are inexpensive and light in weight and have a very high storage capacity compared to other types of batteries. On the other hand, lead ion batteries are more expensive than lithium-ions, but they have a higher self-discharge rate and give a low performance. As far as price is concerned, lithium-ion forklift battery is cheaper than lead-ion when you factor in price per Ah capacity.
Weight
Lead-ion batteries
Lead-ion batteries are very heavy batteries you need some assistance to move them from one place to other. They are large in size also and take up extra space in vehicles or machines.
Industrial Lithium batteries
These batteries are light in weight and very small in size because the material used in them is light in weight. The lithium ions are 4X smaller than hydrogen and helium ions in size and hence give higher energy density per unit mass and per unit volume. Due to their smaller size, they take up a very small space in vehicles.
So this point goes to Lithium-ion batteries because they are easy to move.
Stability and safety
Lead-ion batteries
Lead is not stable at very high temperatures and can catch fire when exposed to harsh material or due to short circuits. Also, Lead-ion batteries contain some toxic materials in it. That sometimes leaks out and is dangerous for workers.
Lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion forklift batteries can bear high temperatures also because lithium is a thermally stable material. It cannot catch fire when exposed to harsh material or due to a short circuit. It also works well in cold due to the internal heating pack that raises the temperature from -20 Co to 0 Co. Lithium-ion batteries also don’t contain any toxic liquids like hydrogen and helium or evolve any toxic gases so it is safer than lithium-ion batteries.
This point also goes to Lithium-ion batteries.
Charging and discharging
Lead-ion battery
Lead-ion batteries take about 4 hours to fully charge and also discharge in about 4 hours. You cannot charge it while keeping it inside the forklift. You have to remove it from the forklift and have to place it at some special place to charge it.
Lithium-ion battery
An industrial lithium battery takes about 4 hours to charge completely and takes about 8 hours to discharge. It gives 4X – 16X more power than lead-ion batteries. It can be charged while keeping it inside the forklift so you can charge it during shift or break time. You don’t need extra space for charging it and you also don’t need an extra battery to replace it while charging.
This point also goes to Lithium-ion battery because it is easy to charge and have a long discharging time.
Durability
Lead-ion battery
Lead-ion batteries can stay for 500-1000 cycles. After this, it gives only 30% to 40% performance.
Lithium-ion battery
The lithium-ion battery can withstand 4000 to 5000 cycles. After 5000 cycles it can give 70% performance till. You can discharge above 80% without any difficulty. It can be used as an industrial forklift battery for almost 10 years.
This point also goes to Lithium-ion battery because it is more durable.
Conclusion
The above discussion shows that lithium-ion battery is better than the lead-ion battery in many points. Therefore industrial lithium battery manufacturers getting popular nowadays. Among many industrial lithium battery manufacturers, BSLBATT is the best lithium-ion battery manufacturer because it manufactures a lot of variety of batteries and chargers with high-quality materials. You can get all things in one shop.
