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The end of lead acid batteries

Dave_P

By Dave_P
in Boat Equipment

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mross Influencer

mross

Posted
Posted

I think it also incorporates a charger; I have emailed Andrew, at RoadPro, to find out. I'll let you know. It's still bloody expensive but you would save on a charger, solar controller, and perhaps one battery if building a new system.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
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I think it also incorporates a charger; I have emailed Andrew, at RoadPro, to find out. I'll let you know. It's still bloody expensive but you would save on a charger, solar controller, and perhaps one battery if building a new system.

 

 

Although I was being facetious earlier, the cheaper one at £2k for the 80AH version seems almost reasonable, especially when I consider I need two 80AH lead acid batteries to get the same capacity (as max 50% DoD), and it looks like it can be rapidly charged much more quickly than a LA battery bank.

 

So yes I'd be most interested if you get a reply.

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mross Influencer

mross

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

 

Although I was being facetious earlier, the cheaper one at £2k for the 80AH version seems almost reasonable, especially when I consider I need two 80AH lead acid batteries to get the same capacity (as max 50% DoD), and it looks like it can be rapidly charged much more quickly than a LA battery bank.

 

So yes I'd be most interested if you get a reply.

 

I got a reply but am waiting for permission from Andrew to quote him. Interestingly he owns a narrowboat!

Edited by mross
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mross Influencer

mross

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Andrew replied with permission to quote

 

 

"You’re welcome to quote me and here’s the link to the EZA on our website.

 

The 220V icon is a bit misleading. What they really mean is that an EZA is a good way of powering an inverter to give 230V. There’s definitely no direct 230V input.

 

We’ve sold more than 50 units so far, all for use in motorhomes. We’ve had interest from people with horseboxes and also specialist users and vehicle builders including the Met. Police. It’s taking a while – as I expected - for people to get the hang of why it’s worth spending so much money on a “leisure battery” but people who’ve got them tell us that they’re the best thing they’ve ever bought for their motorhome. In France, they’ve sold over 1,000 in the past three years and sales are starting to take off in Germany.

 

There’s no escaping the fact that they’re very expensive but, as I say, for certain people, they can give complete freedom from having to use a generator or shore power. I believe that a 130 Ah model used with one or even two of our special “SuperFlex” solar panels, would mean that most boaters would never have to hook up to shore power ever again. And you can quote me on that!

 

If any members of the forum are interested, I can possibly sort out a special introductory discount.

 

Lunch beckons,

 

Andrew"

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Beaker Rising Star

Beaker

Posted
Posted (edited)

A typical 110ah cheap leisure battery might cost £70. That's roughly 60p per amp hour.

 

I've just bought this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F5Q4F0U/ref=pe_1909131_77697001_tnp_email_TE_AMZLdp_1

 

It's a 22ah li-ion battery which I can use as a back up for phone/tablet/mifi charging. I got it on a deal for £12.99. The usual price is £19.99.

 

That's 90p per ah usually or 59p per ah for me.

 

Other benefits is that it will discharge down to 0% and has its own outputs 3xUSB.

 

It outputs at 5v but how long before someone sells a cheap, scaled up version of this which outputs at 12v and can run all your boat electrics.

 

Or am I missing something obvious?

 

If I can make a suggestion here, leave your USB leads plugged into the unit, as the internal connections are a bit ropy IMHO.

 

Apart from that, it's an excellent piece of kit.

 

Edit to correct stupid predictive text.

Edited by Beaker
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Detling Rising Star

Detling

Posted
Posted

Andrew replied with permission to quote

 

 

There’s no escaping the fact that they’re very expensive but, as I say, for certain people, they can give complete freedom from having to use a generator or shore power. I believe that a 130 Ah model used with one or even two of our special “SuperFlex” solar panels, would mean that most boaters would never have to hook up to shore power ever again. And you can quote me on that!

 

Even in winter for a livaboard?. My 300 watts struggles to give more than a few amps in winter for a few hours so maybe teens of amp hours to a 12v bank the water pumps and lights will eat all of that without fridge telly laptop/tablet charging etc.

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Top cat Rising Star

Top cat

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Posted

And even if they do you have to put a little bit more back than you take out and if in the winter the solar isn't keeping up then no matter how fast they charge it aint going to be enough.

 

It's not unknown for the 4KW of panels I have on my house roof to produce less than 1Kwh during a grey gloomy winters day.

 

T C

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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I said you could run your engine; They will take 70amps so it would not take long. Go to eza.fr and have o look! Chrome browser will translate.

 

 

It was a play on your words.

 

You said they charge incredibly quickly. I said that doesn't sound credible!

 

Oh well... Humour never works if you have to explain it!

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mross Influencer

mross

Posted
Posted

It was a play on your words.

You said they charge incredibly quickly. I said that doesn't sound credible!

Oh well... Humour never works if you have to explain it!

sorry mate, I'll read your posts more carefully and check for wit/irony! :-)

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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Posted (edited)

sorry mate, I'll read your posts more carefully and check for wit/irony! :-)

 

 

Lol, yes do. A lot of tongue in cheek stuff I write on here gets taken 'straight' on here, I notice!!!

 

But getting back to the subject, the incredible speed of charging is the primary benefit that makes these batteries attractive to me.

 

I notice however, the reply from Andrew skilfully and obliquely confirms a separate £840 charger IS necessary, so I'd need to spend approaching £3k to get a 80AH battery that I could fully recharge from the genny in just over an hour.

 

This remains an attractive proposition compared to an inboard water cooled diesel genny installation.

 

 

 

(Edit to correct my arithmetic!)

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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