How long batteries last for depends on many factors. Factors such as battery size, temperature, load, surface friction, caster or wheel resistance, slope, speed, constant speed or repeated acceleration and de-acceleration, motor energy consumption, etc. Generally, you want to follow the battery manufacturer recommendations on draw-down or consumption of available full Ah capacity before recharging to get the stated life out of the battery. Some battery types have different recommended maximum draw-down before recharging. Standard AGM has recommendations that you don’t use more than 50% to 70% of available full Ah capacity before recharging, on average. However, you should discharge 70% to 80% of the battery’s available capacity upon first use and on occasion throughout the life of the battery. With LifePO4 Lithium you can draw down up to 95% before recharging. However, with Lithium, it is recommended that you ‘opportunity’ charge any time you have a chance to keep the batteries topped up so they last longer. Wet cell batteries, as in our Motive batteries, allows you to draw down to 80% before recharging. We also offer Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) AGM batteries and lead-carbon AGM batteries that allow fast charging, longer cycle life, higher voltage draw rates, and discharge to 20% remaining.
Always store the V-move tow tractor or tug with fully charged batteries if you will not be using the machine for a long time. Charge the batteries at least once every two months or turn it on and run it to get energy moving through the battery. Our battery chargers have an automatic mode that goes into trickle charging, when the batteries are fully charged, without damaging the batteries. That way, the batteries can remain connected to the charger long term without any problem.
Our load mover tugs can last between about 4 hours to about 11 hours of continuous use on one charge, depending on all the factors stated in this answer. If you want to run the load movers for longer, we offer opportunity chargers, for LifePO4 batteries, that allow you to partially charge the batteries on breaks or down time to keep the batteries topped up.
Currently, our selection of batteries ranges from 24 Volt 36 Ah to 48 Volt 521 Ah (20hr rate). The larger optional capacity batteries, motive batteries, and Lithium-phosphate offer higher voltage and higher sustained voltage which are best for our tugs and will last longer. Most likely our tug that lasts the longest on a single charge would be the XXL with 420 Ah LifePO4.
If you provide us with all the details for your particular use, we can estimate the time our tugs will operate on a full-charged battery and recommend options you have if you need it to last longer.
For further reading about run time, you can find lots of information on the https://batteryuniversity.com/ Battery University website.
