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LiPOFe4(Lithium Iron) Battery for my Evora

56K views 187 replies 43 participants last post by  shakham 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a plan to add lightness my evora for track day upto 250lbs.
Step by step....

Start -> 3042lbs without driver with full fuel.
-sporst exhaust and decat - 25lbs
-radium open air filer - 3lbs
-lithium iron battery - 32lbs
-----------------------------total 60lbs ....now
-carbon seat - 25lbs
-de-seat passenger's seat - 40lbs
-weds tc105n 18inch tire f/r - 40lbs
-2piece brake rotor f/r - 20lbs
-------------------------------found 125kbs...now
shoud find 65lbs
---------------------------------------------------------------End 2792lbs



I searched for many light battery for automotive.
Sector111's braille battery was nice but very expensive.

I found other products, Lithium pros.
They are cheaper($500~$1000).

But I found cheapest one.

Shoraipower made a cheapest Lithium Iron battery I found.
Largest one is 12V , 36AH equiv. $315 from batterystuff.com.
1/3 of braille battery(90AH) and half of OEM battery.
Weight is below 5lbs. Braille is 10lbs and OEM is 37lbs.

Shorai said they made in China but Japan technology.

I tested to my small hatchback for two week. No problem.
So I put it on to my Evora.

Starting is Good and Powerful.
No need to mod for install.

I generally drive my evora once a week. Sometimes I don't drive a month.
I will test it and repost it again.
 

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#119 · (Edited)
Resurrected as I just ordered a Shorai. Plan to install upright and use extreme velcro under base and against firewall for restraint. Will probably also wrap an aluminum wire around it and twist tighten in both front-rear and side to side directions if it will allow me. Extra space can be used to transport mary jane hehe.
 
#120 ·
Brg, sorry busy at the office and just saw this. If I could do it again, I'd order the same battery, but with the polarity reversed. This would allow you to lay it on it's back and u could crisscross the straps to secure it.

Given it's so light, it really doesn't matter, but the physics of it on its back just makes more sense. Again mine has been fine at the track with the upright approach I took(see pics early in thread). So either way you should be good, for ref, the factory battery had 640 cca. So if they ever make a bigger one, I'll get it.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#121 ·
Thanks and I'm OK with the upright fitment. Like you said, its very light and it lateral motion that I'll secure it against. Yes I will clean my battery compartment first! and remove anything else unnecessary in there. I even question the importance of the tray now but will hold final judgement on that till install.
 
#122 · (Edited)
OK installed the Shorai yesterday. Piece of cake. First removal. Taking out the battery, tray bolts and spacers removed 40.4 lbs from the ass!!!

New install with padding is 4.8 pounds!! Saving 35.6 lbs is significant. My 500mV Battery Tender topped it off within an hour and is ideal for this small battery. Just used a bunch of their padding. One thick piece on bottom for cushion and cut a bunch of sections in half, doubled them up for sides. In back of battery, I used a strip of heavy duty bubble wrap and then did same in front and over top. Super stable and well cushioned (also weightless)
This puts me below 3100lbs from a stock loaded S so I'm psyched. Taking 70+lbs (+7HP eq)out of the back end is pretty significant. So even if my 2bular exhaust adds a few pounds back I'll be at ~3100 even esp after rear rotor upgrade (due to cooking the drilled POS rotors). Plenty of CCA and this should become an option on any high end car as it has become on many of the niche tuner cars. Doesn't matter how big the battery is if you're going to keep it maintained.
 
#123 ·
Agree, that Lotus needs to go into the Lux/Performance option business. It is the path to high profit margins in the Luxo segment .. And common on now, we don't think of our love of Lotus that way, but these are near 100k cars out the door. I would have gladly paid a premium for having stuff added by factory, officially not aftermarket CF bits, lightweight bits.... I know that US crash test laws are rigorous and over the top in requiring detests of minor variations especially interior parts you can come in contact with and changes of exterior underplaying body. I.e., a knob shape on the dashboard, also the reasoning behind the Japanese method of tack on body trim bits. They don't change the underlaying body panel.
 
#125 ·
Be careful with that Evora parasitic draw. My Shorai has finally given up the ghost after maybe 3 killings due to 2 weeks idle at a time, and now I'll be adding back 25 pounds to the rear. (With the original lead-acid battery, which I did not quite throw out in the past year of this little experiment.)

Daily drive or else, with this little battery.
(Actually, my big battery died a lot too. But he would die in the 11volts area, whereas Shorai dies down to 6-9 volts, which really kills it.)
 
#126 ·
I have NEVER killed a battery for 8+yrs on my Elise (Odyssey 625) and don't intend to do it here. It takes 30secs to hook up tender anytime I won't be in car more than a few days!

BTW used factory +on right battery and installed standing up. Will remember pics next time I open her up to check....probably after a track day.
 
#127 ·
BTW LOCAL PICKUP ONLY I have a less than 1 great old Interstate type 48 battery available. Make an offer
 
#129 ·
NO clue about Ctek, but my Deltran went to maintenance mode within an hour
 
#130 ·
Just an FYI for you guys on my Shorai experience. The parasitic draw will down the battery if left more than 2 days. I make sure I put it on the Shorai charger when it is longer than 2 days.

I went out of the country for 2 weeks on business and left the charger attached to the car. When I came back the battery was dead and the charger was blinking. Apparently the power went out for a short bit and the charger never kicked in again. I now have a new Shorai and I will be installing a battery cut off switch. This way I can eliminate the parasitic draw while on long trips and have the battery on the charger. This solution is only for long trips, but will give me some piece of mind.

I do love the weight loss this battery provides though. :)
 
#140 ·
I went out of the country for 2 weeks on business and left the charger attached to the car. When I came back the battery was dead and the charger was blinking. Apparently the power went out for a short bit and the charger never kicked in again.
This is the TRAGIC FATAL FLAW of the Shorai charger.
I have Georgia Power, whose slogan is "Always On", which translates to "frequent brief power failures" in non-marketing speak.

The Shorai goes into blinking mode, which drains the battery, rather than charging it. Any other charger will charge when connected to power, but the Shorai charge requires a user to press the "Charge" or "Store" button.

That killed my bettery down to 6-9 volts at least twice, which is just too many.
 
#131 ·
If you left your boot unlatched the lights stayed on in trunk. Close completely. That has typically been the issue.
 
#133 ·
No clue why. Has not been an issue for me
 
#138 ·
My Shorai is sufficient in warmer weather (above 50*F), but doesn't have the cranking amps in colder temps. Since I swapped out my interior lights with LEDs, it has performed better on cold starts. Granted it hasn't been below 50*F since I changed them, but I can go longer between starts now with no issues. After 2 days of no starts the Shorai would still start the car, but it struggled a bit. Now I can go 3 days with no starts & it has no problem starting up. For the record, I never go longer than 3 days without starting or driving it & I haven't used the battery tender yet.
 
#141 ·
SAJ. I don't see why you'd have any issues with a Shorai for a DD car. Especially if you periodically plugged it into a Deltran (500MV-small plug in model) weekly or as needed to confirm she's topped up. I have gone out of my way to use juice since I bought it. cranked stereo, seat heaters etc. When I plugged it in it was topped off almost immediately which, to me means its got reserve for DD duties.
 
#144 ·
Deltran 500mV model. It looks like a wall charger. I've had one for years, even maintains a big battery given enough time or if battery is fiull already. Small is actually very good for battery.
 
#145 ·
Recently using a 3.8# deltran in two of my sports cars.
 
#147 ·
Folks - I've seen lots of threads on battery alternatives but not much on installation. I saw the picture earlier in this thread that someone used 2 large velcro straps for the Shorai. While thats possibly fine for a daily driver, I'd be worried about that for the track. I want something a little lighter than the stock battery (I believe they are Group 48 type). I've got the Interstate now (I believe its original) and I forgot to put it on a trickle charger (Deltran Battery +) for a couple weeks. Re-surrected it and it seems fine for now but I'm not going to take any chances and I want to replace the battery.

I contacted Braille - they do sell the Lithium Battery that is on Sector111's website. Its about $1600. Its a perfect fit apparently. But $1600! I could get tires for that!

Braille has another battery they recommended thats 21 lbs (the 3121). So its not Lithium but its a lot smaller and seems like it would be ok for the Evora (again with the tender on it as needed). But they seem to have no mounting hardware that would be compatible with what we have and I just don't think Velcro straps cuts it.

So, suggestions?
 
#148 ·
I use a Shorai lfx36a3-bs12 .. DO get the Shorai balancing charger if you go for it though.

I've got it mounted like so:


Using these:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SN3JE8A
220MM/190MM GOLD BILLET ALUMINUM CAR BATTERY TIE DOWN MOUNT BRACKET BRACE BAR | eBay

I've got foam stuffed behind it, and a strip in between the battery and the billet so I can put some pressure on it without squeezing the battery too hard. I run on track myself this way without it shifting. Once you remove the OEM tray, two of the bolt holes are very kindly spaced for the billet
 
#151 ·
I just waned to add here another option that I used that is slightly different. I wanted a lighter battery but I didn't want to go with Lithium - not just the extra cost but the issue with the charger and balancing cells, etc.

Anyway, I went with a Braille B3121. I used mostly the same set up as "DerekofBass" above in comment 148. I bought similar bolts and exactly the same top (the gold one) to hold the battery down.

Bought the bolts from Amazon here - size is different due to the Braille size. Bolt Base (8mm) M8 x 190 Black 12.9 Grade High Tensile Hex Socket Cap screws Self Colour Allen Bolts DIN 912 - 2 Pack

However, there are a few problems. First, the battery sticks out a bit from the front. You can't close the cover quite as well. I kind of forced it but frankly I don't really like the solution all that much. This is with the battery laying flat (and these kind of batteries can lay down) toward you with positive on the right. Problem is - if positive is on the right on the Braille, the terminals are facing down instead of facing up. In order to make that work, I put a couple pieces of wood under the battery for support and because, well, the screws were too long otherwise. I needed to raise the battery a little so I could get the terminals up and easier to connect to. I also wanted to put a "quick disconnect" on the battery (I bought a Moroso 74104 Battery Terminal Disconnect Switch) so it was kind of necessary anyway. You can buy that from Jegs.com. I wanted a quality one and theirs works well. There are plenty for only $6 from Amazon. You will want the quick disconnect if you don't charge the car often enough or drive it every day or 2. Its just part of the deal with these lighter batteries - the Evora just drains it (I don't know how fast but likely in < 1 week). I use a Battery Tender to "maintain" (as opposed to trickle charge).

One time I had forgotten to charge and the battery was dead completely - to the point the Battery Tender would not work! It didn't have any voltage across. I figured out a solution - you charge the battery by jumping it first and that gives it enough voltage that even after only a few minutes of running the car you can use the Battery Tender. Since it only charges at about 1 amp or so, it takes f o r e v e r to actually charge the battery. In my case, it was about 2.5 days! I realize that I did scrub off some life from the battery - its running fine now but "oh well" (live and learn, eh?).

One other thing - note that DerekofBass removed the plate - I had to do that as well in order to use his setup whereas iDuc did not. In his case, it looks like he has a different battery tie down (unclear how its mounted) where as Derek and I both used existing holes where the battery plate was. Of course, the downside to removing the plate is that you now don't have anything preventing it from sliding forward. There is no lip on the Braille but it would have helped.

I feel like I have the tie down pretty tight on the top of the battery and I'll check it every once in a while - especially if I go on track.

Scott
 
#153 ·
Don't waste your money on Braille. Same battery as Deka/Big Crank, which are considerably cheaper. All made by EastPenn.

I personally would spend money for the Shorai and their charger. Research twice, purchase once.

San
 
#154 ·
Which model for Elise, pls??

thx
 
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