Why are lithium ion car start batteries not widely used?

So, when we talk about car batteries, let’s understand that we are talking about starting battery the vital organs that help initiate and chug along power for your good old internal combustion engine driven cars. These are in addition to the large traction battery that EVs use for both distance and power. Even though Li-Ion technology is used more and more frequently for a broad range of applications, it’s rather unusual with regards to car starting batteries. This article investigates the big picture behind that, examining technology, economics and logistical issues that have kept lithium-ion batteries from being deployed ubiquitously in this realm.

What Do Starting Car Batteries Do?

The kind of starting batteries you will find in motor vehicles are designed to produce a short burst of power, pretty much long enough just to get the engine moving and combustion going. And they also need to perform at their best regardless of the conditions freezing cold winters, broiling hot summers and work with vehicle electronics in harmony. Engine starting, in contrast to EV batteries carefully optimized for energy density (long distance cars) - has completely different requirements: power density and life time on high power cycles. This point is significant, since it sets the high-water marks against which any competing battery technology aspiring to take on such functions will be compared. The technology of lithium ion is in general mature, but immediately runs into a whole range of problems when being plied for these applications, which we will touch upon in the sections below.

Technological and Performance Limitations

The lithium-ion battery is applied, and then the traditional lead-acid accumulator, the energy density is higher and it weighs less. For many applications, these advantages make less sense though. Another question is how they fare in hot and cold temperatures. In a cold climate, lithium-ion cells can be tricky as they provide you with only so much cranking amps, not enough for starting the vehicle. By contrast lead acid batteries are also strong in such conditions they can always provide power, even if it gets cold. Furthermore, the above-mentioned lithium-ion battery also requires complicated overcharge preventing voltage monitoring and/or over discharging inhibiting devices when it being charged by charging means in a vehicle where it is unaccustomed, for example because said vehicle only needs far simpler lead-acid detectors. Lithium-ion batteries also have to be closely watched and managed or else they could be damaged, destroyed which adds even more complexity and costs.

Economic and Safety Concerns

Price is another problem with lithium-ion starting batteries. They are significantly more expensive to produce than lead acid batteries, which have benefited from decades of refinement and economies of scale. Yet even at that price, lead-acid batteries are only just good enough for the majority of end users and producers. Safety is another critical factor. Lithium-ion battery is dangerous or may not be safe if the battery will become punctured, heated or short circuited. This is also one of the reasons that, although far from safe, lead-acid batteries are safer/more stable in severe (automotive) service. Due to these factors, lithium-ion is poorly suitable for high volume starter batteries in economic and security aspect.

Prevalence Of Lead-Acid Batteries

There’s a reason the lead-acid battery has been around for more than 100 years as the starting authority in automotive. They are very reliable and can deliver the high current needed to crank an engine without severe deterioration over discharge. What’s more, the technology is mature; it already has manufacturing and recycling processes which return most of the materials in place, according to published research that says it is sustainable. That’s also coupled with the fact that lead acid batteries fit existing vehicle architectures and are proving to be something that isn’t requiring major system changes in things like charging stations or electrical infrastructure. It is of course the ease to fit them into other technology and plants together with their low cost which is an obvious choice. The bottom line is that the cars industry can gain little from moving to lithium-ion for starting, especially when established lead-acid technology provides consumer peace-of-mind.

Future Prospects and Industry Trends

That could all be a different story in time to come for starting batteries yet expect these changes to be marginal. Those limitations are becoming more manageable though with advances to lithium-ion chemistries, including updates to the various flavours of lithium iron phosphate derivatives that make them safer and/or cost better. But the technology would need to evolve and industry practices and consumers would have to accommodate it, industry observers say. As vehicles introduce more electronic features and shift toward hybridization, demand for starter batteries may evolve potentially creating an opening for lithium-ion. But lead-acid batteries will continue to be the leading technology in the short term, as they have an established infrastructure and offer economic advantages. The transition to new technologies will be gallimaufry of creation and functional necessity.

In summary, li-ion car batteries are not prevalent in start-stop because of performance limitations and cost implications, safety concerns and the extremely strong incumbent base of lead-acid technology. Li-ion is a promising tech for other applications, but has been relatively little played in traditional car starting at all yet. These premises explain why innovation is still being developed on other sectors, while tried and tested solutions are considered to face the automotive sector.