Lead Acid VS Lithium Battery
The lead-acid battery (VRLA), invented by French physicist Gaston Planté in 1859, was the first rechargeable battery. Although lead-acid batteries are large and have a relatively low energy-to-weight ratio, their low production costs and ability to provide high currents for large motors have led to their widespread use in a variety of high-current standby power supplies, with lead-acid batteries accounting for nearly 90% of the battery market in 1990. In 1990, the use of lead-acid batteries accounted for nearly 90% of the battery market. By 2016, the use of lead-acid batteries had declined to 50% of the overall battery market.
A lithium battery is a type of battery that uses lithium metal or lithium alloy as the positive and negative electrodes, and was first proposed and studied by Gilbert N. Lewis in 1912. In the 1970s, M. S. Whittingham proposed that lithium metal be processed, stored, and used because it is chemically very reactive. In 1982, Illinois Institute of Technology discovered that lithium has the property of being embedded in graphite, and used lithium batteries made from lithium metal with the property of being embedded in graphite to make rechargeable batteries. 1996 saw the release of the first commercially available lithium-ion battery by Sony, revolutionizing the development of consumer electronics in the years to come.
In recent years, lithium batteries have been widely used in everyday electronic products due to the rapid growth of the home and mobile electronics market. Smartphones use over 2,000M lithium batteries per year, with a CAGR of 26% from 2010-2016. As a result, the price of lithium batteries has dropped significantly, with the price of 18650 lithium batteries dropping from $2.6/Wh in 2000 to $0.15/Wh. Moreover, lithium batteries have the advantage of being small and lightweight, and therefore, the applications of lithium batteries in different scenarios have also increased significantly, such as portable battery chargers, electric vehicles, portable electronic instruments, etc. In the past, lead-acid batteries were used in many electronic products. In the past, lead-acid batteries were most widely used in vehicles, but with the popularity of electric vehicles, it is believed that the use of lead-acid batteries will decrease in the next 10 years, and the use of lithium batteries in electric vehicles will become a new trend.
The following chart compares the size and usage characteristics of lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries.
| Aspect | Lithium Battery | Lead-Acid Battery |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Density | High (100–265 Wh/kg) | Low (30–50 Wh/kg) |
| Cycle Life | Long (2000–5000 cycles) | Short (300–500 cycles) |
| Weight | Lightweight | Heavy |
| Charging Time | Fast (1–4 hours) | Slow (8–12 hours) |
| Maintenance | Maintenance-free | Requires regular maintenance (e.g., adding water) |
| Self-Discharge Rate | Low (1–2% per month) | High (3–20% per month) |
| Efficiency | High (90–95%) | Lower (70–80%) |
| Cost | High initial cost | Low initial cost |
| Temperature Tolerance | Limited high-temperature tolerance | Better tolerance for extreme cold and heat |
| Environmental Impact | More recyclable but requires proper handling of e-waste | Less eco-friendly, contains toxic lead and acid |
| Application | Best for high-power, lightweight, or portable systems | Common in automotive, UPS, and stationary applications |
| Lifespan | 5–15 years depending on usage | 3–5 years depending on usage |
Simply put, lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries are two different types of rechargeable batteries, and there are some significant differences between them in terms of structure, performance and application.
Structure:
Lead-acid batteries:
Lead-acid batteries consist of one or more lead plates and lead-acid electrolyte. They are usually larger and heavier.
Lithium Battery: A lithium battery consists of a lithium metal or lithium ion compound (such as lithium iron phosphate) as the positive and negative electrodes, and uses a lithium salt solution or solid electrolyte for ion conduction. Lithium batteries are generally lighter and smaller.
Energy Density:
Lithium batteries: Lithium batteries have a higher energy density, so a relatively small lithium battery can provide more energy. This has led to the widespread use of lithium batteries in portable devices such as smartphones and laptops.
Lead-acid batteries: Lead-acid batteries have a lower energy density, and their relatively large size and weight limit their use in smaller devices.
Charging efficiency:
Lithium batteries:
Lithium batteries have higher charging efficiency and can usually be recharged in a shorter period of time. This makes lithium batteries ideal for applications that require frequent charging, such as electric vehicles.
Lead-Acid: Lead-acid batteries have lower charging efficiencies and longer charging times.
Lifespan:
Lithium: Lithium batteries typically last longer than lead-acid batteries. Lithium batteries have a lower self-discharge rate and can withstand more charging and discharging cycles, making them more durable over the long term.
Lead-Acid Batteries: Lead-acid batteries have a shorter life span and are subject to a limited number of charge and discharge cycles.
Lithium batteries not only have certain advantages in terms of size and life, but after comparing their discharge tests, it has been found that lithium batteries can still provide longer charging times with less capacity.
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