Replaced O.E.M battery with Aerovoltz Lithium battery. O.E.M. 38. 4 lbs., Lithium about 4 lbs including terminal adaptors, etc. Savings about 34 lbs, equivalent to about 4 - 5 hp for the Z51 hp/wt of about 7.4 lbs/hp.

O.E.M. battery 38.4 lbs (actual) 615 CCA 70 AH. Lithium weighs 3' 11" plus terminal adaptors and Styrofoam for holder, say 4 lbs or so. On the box 500 BCA 28 AH.

The O.E.M. was a female dog to get out. Finally worked a flat nylon strap under it. Nothing on the car was altered. All the original covers are in place and in the stock location. Stock hold down is still works. I made a Styrofoam block the same size a the stock battery to hold the lithium battery placing the lithium battery in the front lefthand corner as you face the front of the car so the positive terminal is in the stock location. I used 1/4 copper tubing hammered flat on the ends as jumpers, One that has a negative terminal adapter (6mm) on the negative end and a jumper from the funny looking terminal apparatus on top of battery to the positive terminal.

If it doesn't work out I can change back to original battery in about 10 minutes. So far it cranks and runs. We'll see if it will work in a daily driver in South Texas.

 

Careful man, might be wrong, but aren't these prone to overheating & poss fire hazard? Something like that could also hurt warranty coverage? Good luck with it, though

 

Your car is going to end up a composite roasted marsh-mellow at some point.

They list a maximum environmental temperature of 140F degrees and they are designed for aircraft use. think: lots of cooling.

 

OP, you are a brave man. I certainly hope you don't burn your car and/or house down.

Lithium battery fire concerns are a big deal in aviation, and I wouldn't want to be an early adopter in an automotive application.

 

There is nothing on Aerovoltz website about there BEING an automotive application. OP, be careful!!!!

 

You're joking. Right?

 

My prediction is the charging system will fry that puppy quickly. Good luck.

 

You're a brave person.

Just curious, did the battery come with a special charger? I fly R/C planes and drones and the lithium batteries all require a special charger that charges at a very specific rate and it also balances each individual cell.

I also use a fireproof bag to put the batteries in while they charge. Just in case.

 

I'm sure race cars don't get hot. I've been using lithium batteries in motorcycles for a while and they don't get hot. I'm just guessing but since the battery is in the passenger compartment, it shouldn't get that hot. Took the car out for a spin. So far so good! Got a chance to reindex the windows.

5 hp for about $300, not too bad.

 

You seem to be completely missing the point, which is whether the charging system of the car will safely charge the battery without overheating it to the point that it erupts in a 1000º F + run-away conflagration.

The charging system wasn't designed for a lithium battery. If the charging system damages the battery, it can spontaneously ignite while sitting in your garage with everything shut-down.

The concern is so great that lithium batteries cannot be legally transported as cargo on passenger aircraft.

 

You are 100% correct.

 

You are a brave soul OP. As others have said, these things are kept cold for a reason and unless you know for certain it is compatible with your vehicle's charging setup, you may have just invented a bad day for yourself down the road. You could also be lucky and have no issues for a long time, but why chance it?

 

I'm all for thinking outside the box. But I'm not at all sure about this plan. I, too, fly drones with lithium batteries and feel their heat as they discharge. Sometimes they're almost too hot to handle. We've all seen news articles about hover boards bursting into flames spontaneously. Although I have no knowledge about the specific battery the OP used I'd be very afraid of using one in my car. Perhaps if it was designed FOR my car, but not otherwise.

My drone's batteries are sealed in a foil/plastic shield, no out gassing. Before I learned how to properly charge them I had a few blow up (expand) like balloons. Will this battery the OP used out gas? Is this battery vented to the outside like a factory battery? I wouldn't want battery gasses vented inside the cabin.

The OP calculates an effective 5 hp gain (by weight loss alone). Maybe. 5 horse power? Is 5 hp worth it? Is 5 hp noticeable on a 460 hp car? Is the kid down the road spanking your butt in his tuner ricer and 5 hp going to make the difference? Sorry, I'll get off my soap box.

One warning though. If that puppy goes up in flames inside your garage, if you use one, then its unmovable and everything around it will go up in smoke with it. I'm not willing to chance that myself. Certainly not for a calculated 5 hp.

OP, we all wish you the best. We're not against you on any personal level, we're just not sure if your plan is safe.

 

5hp

 

For that much you probably could have gotten a Diablo tuner or cold air intake and picked up 5hp.

 

Certainly not something I would try. Any hp gain is just not worth the risk. Hope things do not go wrong for the OP.

 

Let's not even take into consideration that during the summer months it can get up to 160 degrees in the car just sitting in the sunlight for a couple of hours. it might work for a little bit, but it won't last. they'll degrade quickly and go BOOM, and yes they do require a special charger. I was reading some of the pilot forums where they were being used. A lot of the pilots mount the batteries OUTSIDE the engine compartment onto the side or belly of the plane.

 

 

 

Maybe not a perfect comparison but Boeing's 787 was grounded due to electrical issues stemming from lithium batteries. This has stemmed a lot of debate using light weight lithium batteries in planes.

I would switch back. Not worth the risk.