So, you’ve become used to the concept of a $1,000 battery. How about a $2,300 battery?
It makes perfect sense that Redarc, the premier Australian maker of battery-management systems, would produce their own lithium battery. It also makes sense that it would debut at the very top of the heap in both performance and price.
In addition to its impressive 150Ah storage capacity, the Alpha150 boasts a continuous discharge capability of 200 amps, allowing it to power a 2,000-watt inverter. Even more impressive is its massive 135-amp charge rate, which allows a full recharge (if your system has that much input capability) in 1.1 hours.
The Alpha150 incorporates a cell heater, which helps expand its operating range to between -4ºF and 140ºF (-20ºC to 60ºC) for discharging, and between -22ºF to 113ºF (-30ºC to 45ºC) for charging. Note, however, that last figure, which still precludes placement in an engine compartment.
Redarc claims a cycle life of 5,000 discharges at 100 percent DoD, which is by some distance the highest cycle life of which I’m aware in a Lithium battery, and should go a long way toward amortizing that painful initial outlay.
Despite that capacity (and keep in mind the much higher energy density of lithium cells compared to AGM batteries) the Alpha150 weighs just 34.2 pounds (15.5 kg).
Note, however, that the warranty on the Alpha150 is just five years. By comparison, for example, an X2Power Group 31M 100Ah AGM battery from Batteries Plus, with a list price of $550, includes a four-year free replacement warranty. By now we’re all aware of the advantages of lithium technology—even at a theoretical 200Ah, two of those X2Power units wouldn’t match the capacity of a single Alpha150, wouldn’t charge a fifth as quickly, and would weigh a hundred and fifteen pounds more.
Nevertheless, it’s my opinion that if lithium battery manufacturers are going to boast about lifespans ten times longer than AGM batteries, and charge a premium price for it, they need to start offering commensurate warranties. I would not want to spend $2,300 (or $1,000 for that matter) on a deep-cycle battery, have something go wrong six years later, and have the manufacturer shrug and say, “Sorry,” when I complain.
I’m waiting eagerly for the day when the makers of lithium batteries become confident enough in their own products to offer consumers warranty protection as durable as they assure us those products are.