Battery Tender sells Lithium Iron batteries for ATVs, motorcycles etc (not sure about automobiles), but I have a couple I use in my ATV's and they're great. They weigh a fraction of what the original lead acid batteries weigh, they hold a charge way better and last longer (I find that with limited use my ATV battery would only last 3 or 4 years, but this one I've had for at least that long and it still works great. If they get the batteries figured out for vehicles I think that would be an easy way to save 25 pounds plus and you can mount it sideways upside down etc, but with daily use, vibration etc they may not have the longevity of the classic lead acid we all use.
Horses work fine too, but you won’t see me trading my car out for one. Not a valid argument.
Not only that, but people have blown themselves up with regular unsealed lead acid batteries. They do release hydrogen, and if not maintained accordingly they can explode too.
I have a Battery Tender brand lithium ion battery in my motorcycle. It’s the only motorcycle battery I’ve ever owned that’s lasted more than 2 years. And sad to say, it spends a pretty significant amount of time parked.
Battery Tender also makes a charger with a setting specifically for lithium ion batteries. That’s what I use to maintain it. That charger also has a “lead acid” setting, so I can still use it to trickle charge my regular car batteries as well.
Like every other new technology, lithium ion batteries are not exactly the same as the lead acid batteries they replaced, and they must be maintained accordingly.
All of this does tell me one thing. I need to designate one area for all of my cordless tool recharging. Maybe on the concrete floor with nothing above or around it. I never leave any charger plugged in unattended anyway, but still I guess there's a chance. I sure do like how long they last though, I know that. I can charge one and it lasts for literally months.
A metal 5 gallon bucket out in the open will do it for fire protection from charging LI batteries.
I quoted a few posts because what I wanted to say applies to all.
Yes, lead acid batteries can explode, and I have experienced that personally.
Just think about some of the cell phones that have burst into flames for no apparent reason, and upsize that to a car battery.
A lead acid battery can explode from the produced Hydrogen and usually blow acid everywhere.
But, they don't cause a huge continuing and building heat source when they do it.
An LI battery literally burns down because of the materials used in their construction, so consider an LI that starts on fire and you can't put it out, and the flames just get bigger and bigger until all the internal "plastic" separator has burned up.
THEN you also have the Lithium smoke and fumes as well.
One of the things that make an LI so dangerous, is not only can they burst into flames from charging or jumping issue's but the design of the internals combined with the materials used makes them short inside if the plastic layer separating the Lithium layers gets disturbed.
An impact or puncture to these layers can easily set off an LI battery.
