Which lithium battery is the right one for my motorhome?
Explanation of the most important decision factors and comparison of the most common 100Ah lithium LiFePO4 supply batteries for motorhomes.
Should I buy a lithium battery for my motorhome? If so, what are the differences and what should I look out for?
There are now a large number of lithium batteries for motorhomes and vans on the market.
To give you an overview of which supply battery could be right for you, in this article we will compare several lithium motorhome batteries from different manufacturers and explain important terminology.
After reading this article you will know more about:
- Capacity (Ah / Wh)
- cycle life (DOD),
- Charging and discharging currents,
- What a BMS is,
- the right size of battery and how to find out whether the battery will fit in your motorhome,
- and what the difference is between prism and cylindrical cells.
The following batteries are compared:
- Supervolt SX 100Ah
- CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS
- Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN)
- Bulltron LI100OB150-12
- ECTIVE LC 100 BT
- LFP LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH
Capacity
The capacity of a battery is specified in Ah (ampere hours) or Wh (watt hours). In the case of a 12.8 V lithium battery with 100Ah, you can therefore draw 100A from the battery for one hour until it is empty.
To convert this into watts, simply multiply the ampere hours (100Ah) by the nominal voltage (12.8V for lithium batteries) and you get 1280 Wh.
ExampleA 60 liter compressor refrigerator has a power consumption of 60W, that is (60W/12V = ) 5 Ampere current consumption per hour. With lithium batteries we can use 100% of the capacity (with lead only 50%).
In other words, with a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery, a 60 liter compressor refrigerator (100Ah capacity / 5 amp consumption = ) can be operated for 20 hours without interruption.
Comparison of the capacity of lithium batteries from different suppliers.
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Capacity | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah |
Cycle life
The cycle life or also the degree of discharge, depth of discharge or often DoD(depth of discharge) indicates how much of the nominal capacity can be used during operation.
With a battery with 100% DoD, 100% of the 100Ah of a 100Ah battery can be used.
A lithium battery usually has a DoD of 100%, whereas a lead battery only has 50-60%. With a nominal capacity of 100Ah, this corresponds to only 50-60Ah of actual usable capacity.
If a battery now has a cycle life of >3000 at 90% DoD, this means that the battery can be discharged 3000 times up to 90% before it noticeably loses capacity.
The more often and the deeper the discharge, the more the battery “wears out”.
In normal camping use, however, the battery is rarely fully discharged. Instead, it is often recharged by solar or alternator at 50% or 60%, which can increase the service life to 4000 or even 5000 cycles.
So if a supplier specifies a service life of 5000 cycles, then in most cases this means that the battery can be discharged 5000 times to 50% before it loses a noticeable amount of capacity. 3000 cycles at 90% DoD is the classic value for A-grade lithium cells. The cell chemistry does not allow for much more than this, even with very expensive batteries.
Comparison of the cycles of lithium batteries from different suppliers:
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Cycle life | ≥3000 at 90% DoD | ≥3000 at 90% DoD | ≥2000 at 100% DoD | 3500 at 100% DOD | ≥2000 at 100% DoD | ≥3000 at 90% DoD |
Charging and discharging current
The charging and discharging current indicate how much power a battery can be charged with. The higher the possible charging current in amperes, the “faster” a battery can be charged.
A 100Ah battery with 50Ah recommended charging current is fully charged in 2 hours when charged with 50A.
The same applies to discharging. A 100Ah battery that is discharged with 50A (or 640 watts) is empty in 2 hours.
How high must the discharge current be?
Depending on how many devices you want to operate at the same time, you should calculate how high the continuous discharge current must be.
If you use a television, refrigerator and coffee machine at the same time, the required discharge current can quickly become very high. The maximum possible discharge current of the battery must also be taken into account here, as many appliances have a higher inrush current.
Using the example of our Supervolt lithium battery: A discharge current of 160A means 2048W or 2KW discharge. At the peak, 320A or 4KW are even possible for 5 seconds.
If you now connect a second lithium battery from us in parallel, you can even consume a constant 2*160A or 4KW.
This is sufficient in the vast majority of cases.
Comparison of charging and discharging current of lithium batteries from different suppliers:
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Recommended charging current | 50A | 50A | 60A | 50A | 50A | |
| Max. charging current | 100A | 100A | 100Ah | 100Ah | 150A | |
| Discharge current duration | 160A | 200A | 80A | 150A | 100AH | 150A |
| Max. Discharge current | 320A/5s | 400A(3-5sec) | 350A/3.5sec | 300A | 120A | 200A /20sec |
BMS- Battery Management System
BMS stands for Battery Management System.
The BMS is the “smart” unit in lithium batteries. Thanks to the BMS, the battery is protected against overvoltage, such as minor short circuits, excessive charging and discharging current, as well as charging and discharging in certain temperature ranges.
Temperature protection is necessary because lithium iron phosphate batteries should not be charged below 0° in order to avoid damaging the cells. To prevent this, most BMS reliably switch off the charging process at below 0° Celsius thanks to an integrated temperature sensor.
The BMS system is also used to transfer current battery parameters such as voltage per cell, current consumption in amperes or current charging quantity to the iPhone or Android app via Bluetooth.
Another task of the BMS is to increase the service life through integrated protection and balancing functions. Our batteries contain four 3.2V 100Ah prismatic cells. To ensure that these are charged and discharged evenly, our BMS balances the cell voltage evenly between all cells. This prevents discharges and increases battery life and reliability.
For most consumers, a battery with a built-in BMS is the safest and simplest solution. Batteries with BMS can easily be replaced with lead batteries.
When purchasing a battery, it is important to consider whether you want to connect it in series. If this is required, you must purchase a battery whose BMS allows this.
Overview BMS of lithium batteries from various suppliers:
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| BMS Battery Management System | integrated | Integrated | integrated | integrated | Integrated | integrated |
| Monitoring | Bluetooth with app | About Mess-Shunt | Bluetooth with app | Bluetooth with app | Bluetooth with app | Bluetooth with app |
| Parallel connection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Series connection | Yes, up to 48V | Yes, up to 48V | Yes, up to 48V | No | Yes, up to 48V | No |
Prism or cylindrical cells?
Most lithium batteries use either prismatic or cylindrical cells.
The main difference between these cells is the shape, size, weight and number of cells installed.
While most 100Ah lithium batteries with prismatic cells only have four 3.2V 100Ah cells installed, the batteries with cylindrical cells contain numerous 3.2V 32650 batteries.
Many cells mean a higher weight. Multiple cells also lead to a higher voltage imbalance in the cells, as not every cell can be balanced individually.
Conversely, this means a shorter service life for the battery with cylindrical cells.
The notable advantage of the battery with cylindrical cells is its reliability: if a cell breaks, the battery continues to function with less capacity.
The advantage of batteries with prismatic cells is their longer service life, lower weight and potentially more compact design. Ideal for owners of vans and panel vans who want to install one or two batteries under the seat.
Overview of cell technology of lithium batteries from various suppliers:
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Cell technology | Prism | Prism | Prism | Prism | Cylinder |
Finding the right battery size for my motorhome / van.
Anyone traveling with a van or motorhome understandably wants to “sacrifice” as little weight and storage space as possible for the batteries.
In addition to the compact design of the battery, the specific installation dimensions are particularly important.
If we look at the standard equipment of most motorhomes and vans, we see that 80-95Ah lead batteries with DIN dimensions and 19cm installation height are usually installed. Batteries with DIN standards H7 (318 x 175 x 190 mm) and H8 (355 x 175 x 190 mm) are suitable for Fiat Ducato, Citroen Jumper or Peugeot Boxer. The smaller H7 batteries (318 x 175 x 190mm) are suitable for Ford Nugget, or VW T5 or T6.
The Fiat Ducato, Citroen Jumper and Peugeot Boxer panel vans also offer the convenient option of placing up to two of these DIN batteries under the seat.
However, many suppliers of lithium batteries for motorhomes have now introduced a new battery size that often only fits horizontally and only individually under the seat.
It is therefore important to pay attention to when buying:
- Where do I want to install the battery?
- Which battery is currently installed?
- Would I like to add another battery in the future?
We have opted for standardized DIN dimensions for our LiFePO4 supply batteries. This means that our 100Ah and 150Ah lithium batteries fit perfectly as an under-seat battery for Fiat Ducato, Citroen Jumper or Peugeot Boxer and can be easily replaced with the existing battery in the motorhome or van.
Overview of weight & dimensions of lithium batteries from various suppliers:
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Weight | 12.3 kg | 10.9 kg | 11Kg | 10Kg | 11,2Kg | 14.5 kg |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 318x175x187 mm | 330 x 170 x 220 mm | 355 x 176 x 190 mm | 279 x 175 x 189 | 353 × 175 × 190 mm | 345 x 172 x 208mm |
| DIN housing? | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Price
Of course, price is also an important criterion. The question of whether you want to switch to lithium batteries or not is often thwarted by the fact that lithium batteries still usually cost around €1000.
In the long term, lithium batteries are worthwhile even for €1000 due to their longer service life compared to lead batteries.
Our 100Ah LiFePO4 battery for motorhomes and vans is currently available from €729, making it one of the cheapest on the market. In a set with a total of 200Ah from €1390.
Overview of the price and warranty of lithium batteries from various suppliers:
*As of December 2020
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Price | 729 € incl. VAT. | 890 € incl. VAT. | 923.68 incl. VAT. | 999 € incl. VAT. | 922,43 € incl. VAT. | 964,07 € incl. VAT. |
| Guarantee | 5 years | 5 years | 2-year statutory warranty | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
Complete comparison
| Supervolt SX 100Ah | CS- Batteries CSX12100-BMS100CBS | Watt-hour LIX100-D (DIN) | Bulltron LI100OB150-12 | ECTIVE LC 100 BT LFP | LIONTRON LiFePO4 Smart BMS 12.8V 100AH | |
| Capacity | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah | 100Ah |
| Cycle life | ≥3000 at 90% DoD | ≥3000 at 90% DoD | ≥2000 at 100% DoD | 3500 at 100% DOD | ≥2000 at 100% DoD | ≥3000 at 90% DoD |
| Recommended charging current | 50A | 50A | 60A | 50A | 50A | |
| Max. charging current | 100A | 100A | 100Ah | 100Ah | 150A | |
| Discharge current duration | 160A | 200A | 80A | 150A | 100AH | 150A |
| Max. Discharge current | 320A/5s | 400A(3-5sec) | 350A/3.5sec | 300A | 120A | 200A /20sec |
| BMS Battery Management System | integrated | Integrated | integrated | integrated | Integrated | integrated |
| Monitoring | Bluetooth with app | Via measuring shunt with BT app | Bluetooth with app | Bluetooth with app | Bluetooth with app | Bluetooth with app |
| Cell technology | Prism | Prism | Prism | Prism | Cylinder | |
| Parallel connection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Series connection | Yes, up to 48V | Yes, up to 48V | Yes, up to 48V | No | Yes, up to 48V | No |
| Protection class | IP54 | IP65 | – | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 |
| Temperature range (discharge) | -20°C .. +60°C | -20°C to +65°C | -20°C .. +60°C | -20°C .. +60°C | -20 to 60 ºC | -20°C .. +60°C |
| Temperature range (charge) | 0°C .. +45°C | 0°C to +50°C | 0°C .. +45°C | -10°C.. +55°C | 0 to 45 ºC | -10°C.. +45°C |
| Temperature range (storage) | -20°C .. +60°C | -20°C to +65°C | – | -20°C .. +60°C | -10 to 45 ºC | -20°C .. +60°C |
| Weight | 11.9 kg | 10.9 kg | 11Kg | 10Kg | 11,2Kg | 14.5 kg |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 318x175x187mm | 330 x 170 x 220 mm | 355 x 176 x 190 mm | 279 x 175 x 189 | 353 × 175 × 190 mm | 345 x 172 x 208mm |
| DIN housing? | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Price | 729 € incl. VAT. | 890 € incl. VAT. | 923,68€ incl. VAT. | 999 € incl. VAT. | 922,43 € incl. VAT. | 964,07 € incl. VAT. |
| Guarantee | 5 years | 5 years | 2-year statutory warranty | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
