Another battery question.....

[simicrintz]

I really wanted to do the lithium battery but am just not getting the warm fuzzies like I think I should be for the price quite yet, so I am somewhat resolving myself to do the 6 eights at this point. My question is if my cart will currently get very little use (like maybe twice a month) currently (this cart will go with us when we move to Utah in a few years and will probably be used daily then) do I want to leave it plugged in all the time for such little use? Once everything is installed I will have a Lester II onboard to handle the charging.

I know that I am a little premature on this cart but I am excited to make it go! Thank you for your knowledge and input!

[simicrintz]

While I am still interested to know if this would have been a dumb idea or not, I went ahead and ordered some new Lithium Ion Chevy Volt 48vdc 2kwh 50ah batteries (big thanks to Left Coast Kiteboarding!!). This should (!) be the last piece of my puzzle and I am very excited to get this all together and running :)

[CCNorth]

I can't say if it's a dumb idea from a battery maintenance standpoint because I don't know for sure. But, I don't think it would have been dumb if that's what you wanted. After all, you have this great cart with the best looking seats in town and were you just going to let it sit there with no/dead batteries? For shame! You may just as well have put it in the backyard with a tarp over it, for crying out loud. :)
Not only do you have my seat covers but now you have my lithiums. I have a serious case of cart envy.
I bet with that new pack you'll ride more than you think you will! I'm happy for you.

[simicrintz]

Thank you, CC. I'm not sure if I am in over my head or not but there is no turning back now! The stupid town I live in now does not let me drive on the street (although I have been on this hill since 1976, so I should be grandfathered in or something!) so I might just say the heck with it and drive up and down out of spite!
Hoping I can make this all work :) Super stoked to get this cart moving on its own!

[ACCLR8N]

What are you doing for BMS on the Chevy batteries? I'm still waiting for my China balancer to arrive. It was "handed off to airline" on Aug 3. Must be a Sopwith Camel.

[Fairtax4me]

To answer the question about charging Lead Acid batteries, even with infrequent use, yes you should still leave the charger plugged into the pack. Lead Acid batteries discharge on their own over time and need to be topped off to prevent sulfate buildup on the plates, which would lead to loss of capacity.
The Lester Summit II will automatically do a periodic maintenance charge on the pack as long as it is left plugged in.

Lithium batteries do not have the same issue with self discharge. They will self-discharge over time but it’s a much much longer time (several years basically) before there is a chance of damage to the battery. Thus there is typically no need for a maintenance charge interval with a lithium pack.

[ACCLR8N]

Conversely, I have seen a couple mentions that the Lithium batteries should not be stored with a full charge. Anybody want to explain that to me for the fourth time?

[simicrintz]

Thanks guys.

FT-that's the info I was looking for. I was wondering if it even made sense to buy new batteries if the thing wasn't gonna move much for at least a couple of years. I've been pushing it around for the last couple of months and could have continued if needed,

ACCLR8N-the guy I bought the lithium batteries from sells a BMS for them as well. I am hearing some chatter that I may not need it (I need to see if the Lester II that I have (30600) is already capable of handling that (on the HV side). I have a little bit more digging to do here before I order the BMS).

Keep the thoughts coming (and if anyone knows the answer about not storing on a full charge like ACCLR8N asked I appreciate knowing as well)!

[kernal]

I believe the answer is in here but its a long read and gets technical. There is lots of info in this site about all kinds of battery chemistry but it will take some commitment on the readers' part to get to what they really want to know. I reference this site a lot but I only read a small section at a time.

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/...ased_batteries

[simicrintz]

Thank you, kernal! I like to read and learn, and if it is technical I may need to do it several times! This is kinda cool to me and while I am somewhat apprehensive of my ability (the fab work and install I am okay with; electricity is not my strong suite though!) I am really looking forward to getting this all figured out.