Lead-Acid vs Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Sightseeing Buses

When buying an electric sightseeing bus, it is crucial to choose the right battery type, because the battery not only affects the vehicle's range and performance, but also affects the long-term use cost and maintenance requirements. Currently on the market, there are two main types of common batteries for electric sightseeing buses: maintenance-free lead-acid batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries. Each type of batteries has its advantages and disadvantages, so when purchasing, you need to weigh them according to specific usage needs, budget, and performance expectations. This article will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the two batteries in detail, and combine the price factor to help you make the final choice.

Maintenance Free Lead-acid Batteries

What Is Maintenance-free Lead-acid Battery?

Maintenance free lead-acid battery is a traditional type of lead-acid battery that has been improved in its sealing design to eliminate the need for frequent electrolyte addition during use, hence it is called "maintenance free". This battery is widely used in various electric vehicles, such as electric sightseeing cars, golf cart, forklifts, electric wheelchairs, etc.

Advantages of Maintenance-free Lead-acid Battery

Relatively Low Price

Maintenance-free lead-acid batteries are one of the mature technologies on the market and have low production costs. Therefore, when purchasing an electric sightseeing bus, choosing this battery can significantly reduce the initial cost of the vehicle. Generally speaking, the price of maintenance-free lead-acid batteries is one-third to one-half of that of lithium iron phosphate batteries. For users with limited budgets, this is a relatively economical choice.

Mature Technology and High Reliability

Lead-acid battery technology has a long history. After a long period of development and improvement, its performance and safety are relatively stable. In daily use, the failure rate of lead-acid batteries is low, especially in the low-speed and relatively stable load scenarios of electric sightseeing buses, the performance is quite reliable.

Low Maintenance and Replacement Costs

Due to the high popularity of maintenance-free lead-acid batteries, there are a large number of maintenance and replacement parts resources available on the market. Once the battery fails or needs to be replaced, the cost of repair and replacement is low, the operation is relatively simple, and the maintenance technology is very mature.

High Safety in Use

Maintenance-free lead-acid batteries are closed structures and do not require regular water replenishment like traditional lead-acid batteries, so the risk of electrolyte leakage or volatilization is low. If used correctly, the battery is very safe.

Disadvantages of Maintenance-free Lead-acid Batteries

Low Energy Density

Compared with lithium iron phosphate batteries, lead-acid batteries have lower energy density, which means that lead-acid batteries of the same weight can store less electrical energy. This will limit the range of electric sightseeing buses. Under the same power condition, the range of lead-acid batteries is usually shorter than that of lithium iron phosphate batteries.

Heavy Weight

Lead-acid batteries are relatively heavy. For vehicles such as electric sightseeing buses, heavier batteries not only increase the weight of the vehicle, but also affect the vehicle's power performance and operational flexibility. Especially when long-term operation or large load is required, the weight will have a greater impact on the vehicle's power consumption and overall operating performance.

Relatively Short Lifespan

The charge and discharge cycles of maintenance-free lead-acid batteries are generally around 500 times. As the usage time increases, its capacity will gradually decay, which will eventually affect the range of the electric sightseeing bus. In contrast, lithium iron phosphate batteries have a longer cycle life and a higher service life.

Long Charging Time

Lead-acid batteries have low charging efficiency and usually take 6 to 8 hours to fully charge, while lithium iron phosphate batteries usually only take 3 to 5 hours to fully charge. The length of the charging time directly affects the frequency of vehicle use, especially in scenarios that require frequent use. Long charging time will affect work efficiency.

Applicable Scenarios of Maintenance-free Lead-acid Batteries

Maintenance-free lead-acid batteries are suitable for users with limited budgets and low requirements for vehicle endurance. If your electric sightseeing bus is mainly used for short-distance transportation, scenic sightseeing and other light-load, low-frequency use scenarios, the price advantage and relatively stable performance of lead-acid batteries make it a good choice.

Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery

What Is Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery?

Lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4) is a new type of lithium-ion battery. It uses iron phosphate as the positive electrode material and has the advantages of high stability, high safety and long life. In recent years, lithium iron phosphate batteries have been widely used in electric vehicles, energy storage equipment and electric sightseeing buses.

Advantages of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

High Energy Density

The energy density of lithium iron phosphate batteries is much higher than that of lead-acid batteries, which means that it can store more electrical energy at the same volume and weight. This allows electric sightseeing buses to have a longer range without increasing weight. Generally speaking, the range of electric sightseeing buses equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries is about twice that of lead-acid batteries.

Light Weight

Lithium iron phosphate batteries are much lighter than lead-acid batteries, usually reducing weight by 30% to 50%. For electric sightseeing vehicles, lighter batteries can improve the vehicle's power performance, acceleration ability, and operational flexibility. In addition, the vehicle will also reduce power consumption after weight reduction, further increasing the range.

Long Service Life

The number of charge and discharge cycles of lithium iron phosphate batteries is usually more than 2,000 times, and the life span is more than 4 times that of lead-acid batteries. In daily use, the capacity of lithium iron phosphate batteries decays slowly, and even after long-term use, it can still maintain a high capacity, extending the service life of the vehicle.

Fast Charging Speed

Compared with lead-acid batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries charge more efficiently and can usually be fully charged in 3 to 5 hours, significantly reducing vehicle downtime. This is a great advantage for users who need to use electric sightseeing buses frequently.

Environmentally Friendly

Lithium iron phosphate batteries do not contain toxic and harmful heavy metals, and the pollution to the environment during production and recycling is relatively small, which is in line with the current trend of environmental protection and sustainable development. In contrast, the recycling and treatment of lead-acid batteries is relatively complicated and there are certain environmental risks.

Disadvantages of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

High Price

The production process of lithium iron phosphate batteries is complex and the cost is high, so their market price is much more expensive than lead-acid batteries. For users with limited budgets, the high initial investment cost may become a major obstacle to choosing lithium iron phosphate batteries for users.

Performance Degradation in High Temperature Environment

Although lithium iron phosphate batteries have good stability, their performance may be reduced in high temperature environments, especially in hot summer, the battery's working efficiency will be affected to a certain extent. Relatively speaking, lead-acid batteries are more stable in high temperature environments.

Risk of Over-discharge

Lithium iron phosphate batteries have strict requirements for charging and discharging. If they are over-discharged during use, they will cause irreversible damage to the battery life and performance. Therefore, when using electric sightseeing buses with lithium iron phosphate batteries, special attention should be paid to power management to avoid over-discharge.

Applicable Scenarios of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

Lithium iron phosphate batteries are suitable for scenarios where high endurance requirements are required or electric sightseeing buses need to be used frequently. For example, large scenic spots, airports, resorts and other places require vehicles that run for a long time and have limited downtime. In addition, for users who pay attention to environmental protection and battery life, lithium iron phosphate batteries are also a long-term investment.

Price and Selection Guide

When considering maintenance-free lead-acid batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries, the price factor is the key. Generally speaking, the price of lithium iron phosphate batteries is 2 to 3 times that of maintenance-free lead-acid batteries. Taking a common electric sightseeing car as an example, if the price of a maintenance-free lead-acid battery is USD 850, a lithium iron phosphate battery may cost USD 2,550 or even higher.

Short Term Costs

If you prefer to reduce initial investment costs, maintenance-free lead-acid batteries are a more attractive option. It allows you to save a lot of money when purchasing and can meet basic electric sightseeing buses usage needs in the short term.

Long Term Costs

Although the initial investment of lithium iron phosphate batteries is high, from the perspective of long-term operation, their longer service life and higher energy efficiency will help you save more replacement and maintenance costs. For example, in 6-8 years of use, lithium iron phosphate batteries may only need to be replaced once, while maintenance-free lead-acid batteries may need to be replaced 3 to 4 times. In addition, the charging time of lithium iron phosphate batteries is shorter, which can improve the utilization rate of vehicles and indirectly reduce operating costs.

Performance Requirements

If you need the electric sightseeing bus to have a longer endurance and maintain stable performance under high frequency of use, then lithium iron phosphate batteries are a more suitable choice.

As a professional electric sightseeing bus supplier, Hulk Vehicle knows that each customer's needs are different, so we not only provide high-quality maintenance-free lead-acid batteries, but also provide lithium iron phosphate batteries for customers who pursue higher performance. Both batteries have their own unique advantages. Hulk Vehicle's professional team will tailor the most suitable battery selection for you according to your specific needs to ensure that your electric sightseeing vehicle achieves the best balance in performance, endurance and cost.

Before purchasing, we recommend that you contact Hulk Vehicle's sales team for a one-on-one professional consultation. By understanding your usage scenarios, budget, performance requirements, and frequency of use, we will provide you with customized advice to help you make the most sensible choice between maintenance-free lead-acid batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries.