lifepo4 (lithium iron phosphate) batteries gradually replace lead-acid car batteries due to their technical excellence. Take the 12V 60Ah specification as the basis. The lifepo4 battery weighs only 5.2kg (18kg for a lead-acid battery), with a volume reduction of 42% (size 200×130×180mm), yet capable of making 800-1500 deep cycles (300-500 cycles for lead-acid batteries), doubling the lifespan of cycles. Byd’s 2023 actual test data reveals that the maximum discharge current of cold start at -30℃ is 800A for vehicles equipped with lifepo4 starting batteries (compared to lead-acid batteries with 450A at most), and the starting ignition successful rate has been increased from 78% to 99.7%. The United States SAE J537 standard test states its charging acceptance ability is three times greater than lead-acid batteries (charging efficiency 95% vs. 32%), and its daily charge and discharge cycles in the vehicle start-stop system average 40 times (15 times for lead-acid batteries).
Economic model of rebuilding cost-benefit of the automotive power source. The initial price of lifepo4 batteries is approximately $120 ($80 for lead-acid batteries), but the overall price of an entire life cycle is approximately $0.01 per use ($0.05 per use for lead-acid batteries). The 2024 report from the German Automobile Association (ADAC) informs that lifepo4-driven cars have a five-year maintenance cost which is 63% lower (35 euros a year compared to 95 euros a year), and no electrolyte refilling is required. After Tesla Model 3’s low-voltage system was converted to lifepo4, the weight of the wiring harness dropped by 2.7kg (cost reduction by 12%), and the energy density was increased to 160Wh/kg (40Wh/kg for lead-acid batteries). Chinese statistics on taxi operation are pointing out that the lifepo4 battery pack operates 0 times during 300,000 kilometers of operation (lead-acid batteries need replacement 3 times), with savings of 3,600 yuan per vehicle. For alternatives’ feasibility in extreme environmental adaptability, confirm. lifepo4 batteries only have 80% capacity output at a low temperature as -40℃ (lead-acid batteries only have 30%), and their heat resistance is as high as 75℃ (lead-acid batteries are limited to 50℃). 2023 tests of the Siberian freight fleet demonstrated that lifepo4-equipped trucks had a cold start time of 1.2 seconds in conditions of -45℃ (3.5 seconds for lead-acid batteries), and the battery self-discharge was less than 2% per month (5-8% for lead-acid batteries). A case of a Saudi Arabian logistics company is that if lifepo4 batteries are charged and discharged 45 times a day under desert conditions at 60℃, the three-year capacity retention rate is 91% (the capacity of lead-acid batteries decreases to 48% in three years). The electric Ford F-150 uses lifepo4 as an auxiliary power source. In the traction of a 2.5-ton vehicle, the voltage variation is less than 0.5V (the lead-acid battery variation is 2.1V), ensuring the stable operation of the on-board electronic system.
The safety performance exceeds the level of traditional batteries. The lifepo4 battery thermal runaway temperature is up to 270℃ (160℃ for lead-acid battery), while the highest surface temperature in needle-puncture test is as low as 82℃ (180℃ for lead-acid battery). The UL 2580 certification shows that it is not explosion and open flame at 200% capacity overcharge, and gas release lower than 0.1L/Ah (2L/Ah for lead-acid battery). Analysis of the 2022 Munich Motor Show accident revealed that the demonstration cars with lifepo4 experienced a thermal diffusion rate as low as 0.2 ° C /s during a short circuit (1.5 ° C /s in lead-acid batteries), providing 18 additional seconds for evacuation of the occupants. Volvo EX90 model integrates lifepo4 battery with BMS (Battery Management System), providing ±1mV (±50mV for lead-acid systems) accuracy of voltage control, and reducing failure probability to 0.0003 times a year (0.01 times a year for lead-acid systems).
The market penetration rate supports the technological trend. By Bloomberg New Energy Finance, new vehicle lifepo4 starting battery penetration will be 38% in 2024 (only 5% in 2020), and the market share of new energy vehicles in China will exceed 62%. The CTP 3.0 technology unveiled by CATL has increased the volume utilization rate of lifepo4 battery packs to 72% (55% for traditional module structures), reducing the weight of the power system of the vehicle by 15kg. The new regulation of the European Parliament in 2025 requires the car auxiliary battery to have a cycle life of at least 1,000 times (the lead-acid battery cannot achieve this), accelerating the replacement process of lifepo4. Toyota’s recent release signifies that after its hybrid vehicles were equipped with lifepo4, the entire warranty period of the vehicle has been extended to 8 years / 240,000 kilometers from 5 years / 150,000 kilometers and its after-sales claim rate by 73%.