Another SLA vs Lithium Quest

[wheelbender6]

I see electric bike kits with SLA 18ah batteries that claim a range of 20 miles. Lithium batteries rated at 10 ah also claim a 20 mile range with the same motor kit? How? Is it because the Lithium batteries can be completely depleted without being damaged? Shouldn't batteries rated at the same amp hours produce the same range, regardless of cell chemistry?

 

[thatsdax]

ah or Amp Hour means..the electric charge transferred past a specified circuit point by a current of one ampere in one hour. Lithium batteries can deliver more current for longer. They can be depleted more deeply than Lead Acid. ah is can be a measure of staying power when compared to the same battery type. But comparing LA to LI is difficult to do.

 

[BarelyAWake]

You're right wheelbender, amp hours are amp hours no matter the battery chemistry, but a major factor in determining range is weight, particularly the massive draw during acceleration. As SLA is by far the heaviest, that'd be the range reduction as it simply takes that much more to get going.

Another example of "every ounce counts" heh