As we strive for a low-carbon footprint with an eye on the environment, more and more people are looking toward Lithium iron phosphate batteries as a possible environmental and cost-effective solution to replace lead-acid batteries.
The life of maintenance-free Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries can be up to 3 times longer than AGM, lead-acid, and GEL technologies. Some companies using lead-acid batteries in their load movers for 10 or more hours a day will realize about two years for the life of their batteries. These are the consumers that will realize the most benefit from switching to LiFePO4 and can realize cost savings in as little as four years.
Some battery technologies, such as AGM, recommend you only drain down the batteries about 50% to 80%, which means as little as half the operating time of the battery’s rating. With LiFePO4, you can drain them down up to 100% of capacity and cycle them up to 4,000 times in some cases, leading to a life up to 10 years. Instead of opting for a LiFePO4 battery of the same size as an AGM battery, you can get one half the size to provide the same operating time or opt for the same or larger size for up to two or more times the operating time.
To deal with the after life of a LiFePO4 battery, there are new LiFePO4 recyclers setting up in North America or already in operation, such as Cirba Solutions with recycling plants in the USA and Canada. These new LI and LiFePO4 recycling plants can recycle your depleted batteries and divert the extracted resources back into the production of new batteries with little or no waste going to the landfill.
Most of our V-move load movers are LiFePO4 capable as a factory option and we only use LiFePO4 and not the less safer LI. LiFePO4 capable V-move load movers have battery level gauges specific for LiFePO4, LiFePO4 batteries matched to the load mover, a special shunt block and wiring inside the load movers, and special programming of the load mover software. We also equip the LiFePO4 capable V-move load movers with a Bluetooth connection between your phone and the load mover so you can monitor the health of your batteries via an app. We even include labels on our LiFePO4-optioned V-move tugs with LiFePO4 battery information and warnings.
The benefit of LiFePO4 configured V-move load movers is not only a reduced impact on the environment. It is also the cost savings you will realize over time. LiFePO4 battery chemistry allows you to partially charge or opportunity charge for longer run times without damaging the batteries. LiFePO4 batteries also provide a higher sustained level of voltage to our powerful V-move motors that give the motor a boost of energy that translates into more power and efficiency.
We offer a variety of LiFePO4 battery manufacturer choices with your V-move in our walk-along tugs and ride-on tow tractors. A few LiFePO4 battery manufacturers or distributors will back their product with 4- to 11-year warranties. Often, we will require more counterweight to make up for the lighter weight of LiFePO4 vs. lead-acid batteries. In colder climates, we ensure your LiFePO4 battery is cold-weather charging capable, if available, and operating-capable to -20c or -4f. LiFePO4 batteries, properly configured and in the proper operating temperature range, have the added benefit of more usable energy capacity than lead-acid batteries.
When you are considering your next highly configurable V-move load mover purchase, ask about how a LiFePO4 V-move walk-along load mover or ride-on tow tug can benefit you. LiFePO4-capable V-move load movers are especially beneficial in the shopping cart pusher industry where tugs are operated constantly all day long, as they will reduce operating costs, increase productivity, reduce your environmental footprint, give you longer run times, and allow you to charge up faster.
