Installing a Lithium Battery
One of my farm's off-road vehicles is now equipped with a low-maintenance, long lasting lithium battery - and it's working great.
There's a lot that goes into maintaining a farm. I am constantly driving around, talking to my outdoor grounds team, visiting my animals, and checking on the progress in my gardens. The crew is also very busy and needs to get around easily and efficiently. My off-road utility vehicles are extremely useful, but when my electric one began to slow down, I decided to convert the battery system from lead-acid to lithium. Now it runs longer, charges faster, and is much more environmentally friendly. Our new 48 Volt Eco Battery is from Extreme Kartz and comes with a complete conversion kit making the "switch" so easy.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This is one of my off-road utility vehicles. It is used every single day of the year for a myriad of chores, including carrying harvests from the vegetable garden to my Winter House, transporting mulch and compost to various sites, and hauling supplies for work projects. This particular model was outfitted with lead-acid batteries which were aging and becoming less efficient. It was time for a change.
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- It takes eight lead-acid batteries to run this vehicle. They are located under the seats. The lead-acid battery is a type of rechargeable battery first invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. Compared to more modern rechargeable batteries such as the lithium battery, lead-acid batteries have relatively low energy density.
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- The first step is to remove the old lead acid batteries. These will be disposed appropriately.
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- These are two new lithium Eco Batteries – one 160ah for my electric vehicle in Maine, and a smaller, skinnier 105ah battery version for the EV here at Bedford.
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- Both batteries come with an all inclusive installation kit, complete with brackets, a charger mount, and all the needed nuts and screws.
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- Here is the 48 volt Eco Battery charger. The entire battery and charger system is much lighter – about 80 percent lighter – than the lead-acid batteries.
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- Here is the plastic tray that held the lead-acid batteries in place. This also needs to be removed for the conversion.
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- Here is another view from the side showing where all the wires are located.
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- The two black brackets will now hold the new lithium battery.
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- … And the metal mount will support the battery’s charger. The conversion process is not difficult. Anyone with automotive knowledge can replace lead-acid batteries for lithium ones.
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- Here, the Eco Battery Charger is secured in place within the battery bay.
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- Everything fits compactly under the seats in the same place the lead-acid batteries were located, but with a much smaller footprint.
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- The connection wires run from the charger to the new status charge meter. Another advantage of these lithium batteries – they provide the same voltage output at any level of charge.
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- Finally, the Eco Battery is installed and connected. And it’s actually safer for the environment – they do not emit any toxic gases.
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- Here is a view from the top – one battery and one charger, which can last up to 10 years or more.
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- The seats lift up for easy access if needed.
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- One doesn’t even know the battery is there.
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- Inside the vehicle is the status charging indicator.
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- And outside is the vehicle’s new Eco Battery Charger Port. It uses a regular household power cable for charging.
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- And it’s ready to go once again – back to work at my busy farm. It now runs as good as new. A lithium battery for an off-road vehicle like this or a golf cart… it’s a good thing.
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