Lithium Ion Batteries in an ATV?
Dear ATV Connection:
I was wondering what’s the lightest battery I could get away with in my Suzuki LTR-450 without sacrificing cold starting power?
Ah the elusive “perfect” battery question. We would all like to save weight by slapping a flashlight battery into our ATV’s battery box but don’t want to be caught without cranking amperage miles from civilization. Just last year we would likely have told you that what your after was a pipe dream but alas thanks to some rapidly developing technology and some innovative thinkers, the perfect solution may in fact be reality.
Up until now the standard fair ATV battery (not unlike the automotive battery or the one in your lawnmower) has been constructed of lead-acid internals, which, like the name suggests, is a combination of acid and lead plates. Lead isn’t known for its lightweight qualities as you probably already know and is a major contributor to a battery’s heft.
Enter E-batt, a company who has recognized this reality only unlike you and I, set out to do something about it. Their new battery packs are not only lighter but much smaller physically as well thanks to the elimination of the lead element and the replacement with lithium. Even cooler still is the elimination of the need for acid (or electrolyte) as the lithium battery operates entirely on dry cells.
If this sounds familiar to you, that’s because it should. Lithium ion batteries have been standard fair on electronics such as laptops and cell phones for years now.
The only downside to report on this new technology is that isn’t cheap to become an early adopter (remember how much DVD players cost when they first came out? Now they’re at the local drugstore). We anticipate prices will continue to decline as more companies catch on to the technology, maybe not quite at the pharmacy cheap, but easily on par with what today’s lead-acid units cost.
In the meantime, if you simply can’t wait for that day to come, E-batt has you covered for .99-9 depending on your model. Give them a shout at either 661-297-0400 or check out their site: www.ebatonline.com
