Compare the differences between a lightweight High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery and the basic SLA battery. Look at cost, size, weight and long term value to decide which battery you may prefer in your 3 wheel electric trike.
As the direct manufacturer, make them both so you can decide which battery type is best for your needs. If you have any battery questions, contact us by email or call the experts at 855-648-7423 for details.
Let's review:
High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered Battery High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered batteries are 10X lighter weight and are 4 times smaller in volume. They are removable, provide computerized critical battery health reporting data at the push of a button or with the use of an app on a smartphone or tablet. They can be recharged up to 1200 times when maintained properly to save thousands of dollars of replacement costs over very long periods of time. Triad's Exclusive High Performance Battery is 90% efficient to provide consistent reliable power for longer distances especially for those who are over 180 lbs. High Performance BMS batteries discharge a consistent 48V during operations and are 1200% more sustainable over time due to their ability to be able to be used for 5-8 years consecutively without replacement. High Performance BMS batteries can be recharged mid cycle which significantly shortens charge times. The Triad High Performance Automotive Grade BMS battery has a 1-year warranty against OEM defects, and this class of battery type is the modern standard phones, tablets, laptops, e-bikes, tools, solar power storage and today's electric cars. The Triad High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery has a fully integrated computerized Battery Management System (BMS). That means it has its own internal computer to monitor and regulate the all the battery cells for you, and it balances and regulates the internal voltage for efficiency and safety. The BMS automatically regulates charging and discharging. Its onboard touchscreen monitor or smartphone app provides a human interface so users can access critical battery data in the most user-friendly way possible. There is no other battery that provides the user with this critical information to read and understand the battery so you can see the battery state of charge (SoC) and overall battery state of health (SoH) at any time to maintain the battery for up to 8 years of consistent use. Yes, High Performance BMS powered batteries cost more upfront, but they do not lose power during operations as the battery discharges like SLA. They keep outputting 48V throughout the entire discharge cycle and you get continuous power and torque until the very end of the discharge cycle. High Performance BMS powered batteries are lightweight and have the ability to display battery health at all times. They can be recharged for many years to save a lot of money over time. This type of battery cell is what today's electric cars use. The output voltage does not decline when in operations. It always discharges 48V for high performance. For more details on the important functions BMS controls read more here. https://www.3wheelelectricscooter.com/post/11-important-functions-triad-smart-bms-automatically-provides
The case for SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) Batteries
Yes, lead acid batteries work too, and SLA batteries are most common in America. Similar looking units on the market only use SLA and do not provide a lightweight modern alternative. We do make SLA options, and since we are the direct manufacturer, our SLA models are less expensive than our competitors. You can compare Triad and each of our competitors prices here. NOTE: You can't take a scooter that is built for SLA and just drop in a High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery in it to make it perform better. A vehicle made for SLA - must ONLY use SLA batteries. The internal vehicle components can only be made to carry 12V because that is the true nominal voltage of this battery system and the components have to conform to nominal voltage for continuity. SLA options use 4 - 12V sealed lead batteries in series, not one 48V pack. You will notice at the end of battery life for SLA, battery 1 in series will be the lowest voltage and battery 4 will be a bit higher. Battery one is getting the most draw from the series to power the vehicle. But you should not just replace 1 battery, you should replace all 4 at that time to get the most out of the SLA 4-12V series.
You may notice SLA batteries seem great when they are new, because when they are new, they hold the most voltage capacity. But they do not work well for everyone over time. After a full charge, you will notice that once you reach about 85% capacity, the vehicle will begin to slow down a bit. Once you get closer to 60% discharge, the speed, climbing ability and any resistance like gravel or thick grass continue to impact the vehicle performance. This is the case for any scooter that uses SLA batteries, for example, Five Star, Challenger X, Zoomie, EWheels, RMB, Mobile Trend, and Chaser 1000, are only SLA, there are no other battery options for these similar looking products, and this is just the nature of sulfur acid and lead batteries in 3 wheel electric trikes. **None of the similar looking units out there use a High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery. The High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery is exclusive to Triad.
The voltage of SLA batteries will decline during use. There is no BMS to regulate the discharge voltage. From a full charge SLA discharges 12V, 11, 10, 9, 8V and so on until its dead during the discharge cycle. As the voltage decreases in use, the power you feel decreases because this type of battery is not considered a "high efficiency" battery and has low energy density.
But thats ok, you may not need a high performance battery. Thats why we need to know whats best for YOU! SLA packs use 4 batteries in series, and by comparison they are considered extremely heavy. Lead batteries work, but offer efficiencies that hover around 50%. The weight of the battery itself adds weight and drag during operations which in itself contributes to a faster battery discharge. There is is no data reporting. Battery health can only be done with a voltage meter, or by noticing you have no power. You will only know your lead battery needs to be replaced when the vehicle’s power is depleted and there is no power. You must charge SLA batteries longer and longer the older the battery gets, and at the end of the battery life cycle (up 200 recharges on average) you will find yourself charging 8-12 hours for 5 -7 miles of use, generally. When you get to this point, its 100% time to replace the battery. As the battery ages, and the recharge cycles get close to 200 recharges, the distance, power, speed and torque will be significantly affected. It will say it has reached a full charge, but you may only be able to go a couple hundred meters. Time for new batteries. Even with newly installed lead batteries, you can feel the Power, Speed decrease in real time while the vehicle is in use and once you reach about 40-50%, the battery is out of power (re: low battery efficiency). Over time, as the battery charge and discharge cycles increase, the overall capacity to hold power will get used up until it requires replacement.
With lead batteries, power and distance decrease with each recharge and would be like every time you fill up your car your gas tank shrinks. The total amount of voltage capacity is decreased with each recharge. The good thing is that SLA batteries are so prevalent in the United States, you can find them almost everywhere, and if you know how to replace them yourself, it can be relatively inexpensive. NOTE: SLA battery options are not available for Hawaii, Alaska, UK, EU, Canada or Australia. SLA battery options are ONLY available for the lower 48 US market. SLA battery option availability is limited to Quantum Dual and CSX models only due to the size required for the battery compartment. International orders to UK, EU, CAN, and AUS all have strict RoHS regulations prohibiting the use of lead in batteries to protect their environments and to prevent birth defects of their citizens. UK, European Union, Canada, and Australia do not allow any batteries with more the .01% of lead into their countries. Lead batteries can only have a 60-day warranty because they are not a reliable “rechargeable” battery, and by today’s standards SLA batteries are considered “semi-disposable” since they do not last very long under regular use and may require frequent replacements to change the batteries.
The High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery option from Triad can last up to 8 years it is specifically engineered it to be lightweight, swappable without tools and to eliminate potential hidden battery replacement costs.
Depending on your lifestyle, how often, how fast and how far you drive, what kind of environment you are in, flat or hilly for example, or if you are using your Triad for personal use or work in commercial or industrial applications, these will be the determining factors on which battery is best for you.
Knowing the pros and cons of both will help you make your decision when choosing which battery is right for you. SYNOPSIS:
SLA could be the option for you if you don't use it on a daily basis, and you have no need to lift it for traveling. You can remove the battery pack, but you will need some basic tools like a 10mm socket or phillips head screwdriver to detach the positive and negative power lines from the battery terminals for each use. Maybe you are more familiar with lead batteries and how to keep them in good condition like with lawn equipment and classic cars, and see no point in spending the money. Thats a totally valid point! Maybe you just simply like the fact that you can find these lead batteries almost anywhere for replacements, and you want to cross that bridge when you come to it because you know how to extend the life of an SLA battery. Perfectly acceptable reasoning as well and there's no argument here. Maybe you just don't like the idea of high tech batteries in general. There is nothing wrong with that either! If any of this rings true, SLA could be right for you.
The High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery may be the battery to choose if you use the vehicle every day, are a person who is over 180 lbs, who wants to charge faster, go over high resistance areas off road, up steep hills, and have more effective battery capacity to save thousands of dollars long term to avoid battery replacement costs and potentially avoid days of downtime over the lifetime of ownership.
A High Performance Automotive Grade BMS powered battery is the only option for those who need reliable power for operations for work, or towing, and want to use the vehicle daily for many years of reliability. The High Performance BMS option is for those want a powerful lightweight option that provides critical battery data for both long term daily operations and dormant storage, and its ideal for those who want more consistent power and to avoid hidden costs of consistently replacing old battery technology.
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