Beware Of Cold Weather And Lithium Batteries!

An early cold shock hit Bend, Oregon a couple of weeks ago. My chainsaw and batteries were in my truck for several nights of below-freezing temps. Upon trying to use my "cooled" chainsaw, it would only run until the saw blade hit the tree! My first thought was that my chainsaw had failed. I replaced the batteries with warm ones from my shop and the chainsaw worked! I also noticed that my charger would not work with these cold batteries. Not until they warmed to room temperature.

Ultimately, both of the cooled batteries charged and operated the chainsaw. I’m a bit concerned about any long-term effect that the exposure to the elements and weather conditions might have had on the two batteries. Only time will tell.

Do you have a battery-powered chain saw? Perhaps not! But you may own an electric golf trolley, golf club car, or electric golf cart that is powered with a 24 Volt Lithium Ion battery. The reason I’m sharing my above story is that the same thing might happen if you should accidentally leave your Lithium battery in your car/truck/SUV in extremely cold weather. The results might be troubling.

Lithium-Ion batteries are a wonderful advancement compared to lead acid batteries in battery technology, but they need some tender love and care. Your Cart Tek user manual for golf cars suggests that you always store your golf cart batteries in a cool, dark, dry environment and avoid extreme temperatures. Avoid both hot and cold extremes as best you can and you will get the best life and charge cycle from your battery.

If your golf course is shutting down for the Winter, remember to charge your Lithium golf cart battery after your last use. Always make sure you see the amber LED on your charger. This is the ‘only’ indicator that your battery is being charged. Periodic charges over the Winter are also recommended(Check every 45-60 days). You should try checking your electric vehicle and charging your battery every 3-4 months when not in service. If you are concerned about the battery charge, you can test the battery with a volt/ohm meter or with our battery management system monitor. Either device will give you the status of the battery Voltage.

Golf cart's lithium iron phosphate batteries are a huge upgrade from lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries have a shorter life expectancy and are heavy and slow-charging. To make things worse, golf cart owners know that the traditional golf cart batteries in the U.S. come with aggravating battery maintenance costs. Compared to the average lead-acid battery, the lithium ion golf cart battery has a more advanced battery pack that provides more mileage on a single charge. The lithium chemistry allows lithium-ion golf cart batteries to reach a full charge in an average of three hours and exhausts less power when in use due to its lighter weight capacity. On top of all those advancements, unlike lead acid batteries, lithium technology requires zero maintenance.