It's a little more than $1k, but not a lot more. However, the major advantage of Li batteries over lead acid is the number of cycles you get. A standard 'deep cycle' battery is rated for 500 deep cycles (80% depth of discharge) whereas Li batteries are anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000, depending on the literature you read. So if you're actually going to use the batteries regularly, like in an off-grid setting, Li batteries pay for themselves pretty quickly. There are forklift batteries, which give 1,000-2,000 cycles, but there's regular maintenance required for them and they are HUGE.
Another major advantage of Li batteries is that you can discharge them at 4-15x the rate of lead acid without damaging them. This means that if you're using high-wattage equipment, you need a really big lead acid battery to power it without causing damage to the battery. But with Li batteries, you can discharge them from max charge to empty in an hour without hurting them. Lead acid is more like 4-6 hours for a safe discharge. This isn't a huge consideration for most end users, but it's one that needs to be brought into the discussion.
And finally, Li batteries are maintenance free (unlike so-called 'no maintenance' lead acid batteries bearing the same label, which are incredibly delicate compared to their more durable wet lead acid cousins)
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It's a little more than $1k, but not a lot more. However, the major advantage of Li batteries over lead acid is the number of cycles you get. A standard 'deep cycle' battery is rated for 500 deep cycles (80% depth of discharge) whereas Li batteries are anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000, depending on the literature you read. So if you're actually going to use the batteries regularly, like in an off-grid setting, Li batteries pay for themselves pretty quickly. There are forklift batteries, which give 1,000-2,000 cycles, but there's regular maintenance required for them and they are HUGE. Another major advantage of Li batteries is that you can discharge them at 4-15x the rate of lead acid without damaging them. This means that if you're using high-wattage equipment, you need a really big lead acid battery to power it without causing damage to the battery. But with Li batteries, you can discharge them from max charge to empty in an hour without hurting them. Lead acid is more like 4-6 hours for a safe discharge. This isn't a huge consideration for most end users, but it's one that needs to be brought into the discussion. And finally, Li batteries are maintenance free (unlike so-called 'no maintenance' lead acid batteries bearing the same label, which are incredibly delicate compared to their more durable wet lead acid cousins)