Best Lithium Batteries for Cold Weather

FAQ

Are lithium batteries good in winter?

LFP batteries are safe to use in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 60 °C / -4°F to 140°F, making them suitable for various weather conditions. This is especially beneficial for off-grid solar, RV, and trolling motor owners who may encounter extremely cold environments, providing consistent and reliable power.

Cold temperatures can negatively affect any battery's performance, particularly lead-acid batteries, which experience significant degradation in health and longevity in the cold. In contrast, lithium batteries perform much better in low temperatures.

With lead-acid batteries, drawing power in cold conditions can weaken them further. However, LFP batteries generate heat during use, reducing resistance and increasing voltage. Therefore, when considering an upgrade or seeking reliability in cold weather, lithium batteries clearly outperform lead-acid options.

How to charge lithium batteries in cold weather?

Charging lithium batteries in cold temperatures can cause damage, which increases with the charging rate. While slower charging can mitigate this damage, it's often impractical.

When temperatures are between 14°F and 32°F, the maximum charging rate should not exceed 0.1C. In even colder conditions, from -4°F to 14°F, the limit drops to 0.05C. These reduced charging rates will lengthen charging times and complicate the process, especially since temperatures can fluctuate unexpectedly. For example, you might start charging in 40°F weather and wake up to a cold snap at 18°F. If you charged at a higher rate overnight, the drop in temperature could lead to irreversible battery damage.

The key rule for charging in cold weather is to avoid charging batteries below freezing without reducing the charge current. This can be challenging unless your battery management system (BMS) communicates with your charger and can adjust accordingly.

LiTime cold weather batteries include low-temperature charging protection to prevent charging below freezing point. Additionally, self-heating batteries are equipped with a heating pad to warm them up when temperatures drop at -20°C to 5°C / -4°F to 41°F, allowing charging to commence once the temperature reaches 5°C/41°F.

How do LiTime Self-Heating batteries work?

The auto self-heating function of LiTime self-heating lithium battery will be activated by the BMS when the battery is connected to a standard charger at -20℃ to 5℃ (-4℉ to 41℉). The heating will stop when the battery temperature reaches 10℃ (-4℉).

What are the differences between Self-Heating and Low-temperature protection batteries?

These two series focus on addressing the charging challenges of LiFePO4 lithium batteries in cold weather. The key difference between the Low-Temperature series and the Self-Heating series is the presence of an automatic Battery Management System (BMS) heating module in the Self-Heating series. This allows the battery to warm itself during charging without any user intervention.

In contrast, the Low-Temperature Protection series will automatically stop charging when temperatures drop below 0°C (32°F). To resume charging, you'll need to take steps to warm the battery to at least 5°C (41°F) by placing it in a warmer indoor environment.

For more details, read about LiTime Low-Temperature Batteries vs. Self-Heating Series.

What's the warranty of the LiTime lithium batteries?

LiTime offers a 5-year warranty on our batteries. For more details, please visit our Warranty Policy.

How to charge the LiTime LiFePO4 lithium batteries?

Because LiFePO4 lithium batteries have different charging requirements than lead-acid batteries, we recommend using a LiFePO4 lithium battery charger.

Here are the charging options for LiTime lithium batteries:

1. AC-DC Lithium Battery Charger: Select a charger with the appropriate voltage to safely charge the battery.

2. Solar Panels: When using solar panels, always connect a solar charge controller to ensure safe charging.

3. Alternator/Generator:

DC Output: If your alternator or generator provides DC output, you will need a DC-to-DC charger to connect the battery.
AC Output: If it provides AC output, use a compatible battery charger as specified in the product manual to safely connect the battery and generator.

Mild Cold	≥ 32℉ / 0°C	Advanced BMS Protection, Low-temp Cut-off Protection	Standard Series, Low-temp Cut-off Series
Moderate Cold	32℉ to 14℉ / 0°C to -10°C	Advanced BMS Protection, Low-temp Cut-off Protection, Self Heating	Low-temp Cut-off Series, Self-heating Series
Extreme Cold	14℉ to -4℉ / -10°C to -20°C	Advanced BMS Protection, Low-temp Cut-off Protection, Self Heating	Self-heating Series

Low-temp Cut-off Protection	＜-4℉ discharging off; ＜32℉ charging off; ≥41℉ resuming charging.	12V 230Ah, 12V 280Ah
Self Heating	Heating on: -4℉ to 41℉; Heating off: ≥50℉.	12V 100Ah Heat, 12V 200Ah Heat, 12V 200Ah Plus Heat
All-in-one Function	Not only with low-temp protection and self heating, but also with Bluetooth 5.0.	12V 100Ah Group24 Omni, 12V 140Ah, 16V 100Ah Smart

12V 100Ah Xtra-Mini

12V 100Ah Slim

12V 100Ah Group27 Smart

12V 165Ah Smart

16V 100Ah Smart

51.2V 60Ah GC Comm

51.2V 100Ah GC Comm

12V 100Ah Batteries

12V 100Ah

12V 100Ah Heat

12V 100Ah Max

12V 100Ah Group 24

12V 100Ah Group 24 Smart

12V 100Ah Group24 Omni

12V 100Ah Mini

12V 100Ah Mini Smart

12V 100Ah TM

12V 100Ah TM Smart

12V 100Ah OBM Smart

12V 100Ah Group27 Smart

12V 100Ah Xtra-Mini

12V 100Ah Slim

12V 6Ah

12V 12Ah

12V 20Ah Starting

12V 45Ah

12V 50Ah

12V 50Ah TM Smart

12V 65Ah

12V 100Ah

12V 100Ah Max

12V 100Ah Heat

12V 100Ah Xtra-Mini

12V 100Ah Mini

12V 100Ah Mini Smart

12V 100Ah Slim

12V 100Ah TM

12V 100Ah TM Smart

12V 100Ah TM Plus Smart

12V 100Ah OBM Smart

12V 100Ah Group 24

12V 100Ah Group 24 Smart

12V 100Ah Group24 Omni

12V 100Ah Group27 Smart

12V 140Ah Dual

12V 140Ah Smart

12V 165Ah Smart

12V 200Ah

12V 200 Smart

12V 200Ah Heat

12V 200Ah Plus

12V 200Ah Plus Heat

12V 230Ah

12V 230Ah Smart

12V 280Ah

12V 280Ah Smart

12V 300Ah

12V 400Ah

12V 460Ah

12V 560Ah

16V 30Ah Smart

16V 70Ah Smart

16V 100Ah Smart

24V 25Ah

24V 50Ah TM Smart

24V 100Ah Smart

24V 100Ah

24V 200Ah

24V 230Ah

24V 280Ah

36V 45Ah GC

36V 50Ah TM

36V 50Ah TM Smart

36V 60Ah GC

36V 100Ah GC

36V 100Ah OBM Smart

51.2V 30Ah GC

51.2V 30Ah GC Smart

51.2V 30Ah GC Comm

51.2V 60Ah GC