Rascal Lithium Ferro Phosphate BatteriesThe Rascal LiFe range of scooters boast “state-of-the-art” lithium ferro-phosphate battery technology. We explain what makes this type of battery special and how it compares to ordinary lithium batteries?
Electric Mobility’s Lithium solution now includes a Lifetime Guarantee on the battery, another first for our pioneering company. It is now available on our VelumiLi, Veo Sport LiFe, Vippi LiFe and the Vierra LiFe deluxe scooter. Our Managing Director, Jonathan Hearth, has been wary about the regulations and dangers of Lithium-Ion batteries and the caustic chemicals they contain, such as Cobalt and Manganese which do not decompose in the environment. As we are seeing in the news, Lithium-Ion batteries are combustible if damaged or charged incorrectly, which is known as Thermal Runaway. When they combust, the fire cannot be extinguished with water, and the result is the venting of flammable and toxic gases, as well as potential explosion of the battery case. Although Lithium batteries are marked with labels warning against sending Lithium-Ion batteries to the landfill, they are now the leading cause of landfill fires in the UK and the cause of four deaths in house fires in the UK so far this year. It is distressing that people do not know about the environmental effect of the heavy metals inside Lithium-Ion batteries, cobalt, and manganese, which eventually end up in our groundwater when they decompose.
All Mobility lithium batteries above 4 Amp Hours capacity are considered Dangerous Goods when transported by delivery trucks, a regulation we follow diligently. We incur additional costs when we ship Lithium batteries responsibly to ensure we follow the regulation for safe shipping of their Dangerous Goods. All importers and manufacturers of Lithium batteries are also responsible for proper disposal of lithium batteries they distribute.
Our battery partner is in the UK and manufactures our custom Lithium Ferro-Phosphate (LiFePO4 or LiFe as we call it) battery modules to our specifications for use in power mobility vehicles. One of the leading causes of mobility battery failures is when a battery is left in an end user's storage area over the winter without being charged. To help prevent this common problem for users and dealers we have a designed our batteries with a miniscule power leakage from its’ battery module when it is not in use. So, not charging it for long periods of time will not ruin it. Plus, our custom solution provides over 1,600 charge cycles, which prompted us to make the Lifetime Battery Guarantee for our customers. Lithium-Ion batteries are typically only rated to last up to 450 charges. The average replacement cost for a small 10 amp Lithium-Ion battery pack is £400-£500 for the user, an unwelcome surprise after a few years of use.
For more product information:
Vierra LiFe
VelumiLi
Veo Sport LiFe
Vippi LiFe
