Heated vs non-heated lithium batteries: which do you need?
You need a heated lithium battery if it has to charge below freezing. An unheated LiFePO4 battery won't accept a charge below 32°F (0°C); a heated one warms its own cells first and then charges. Expion360's VHC™ (Vertical Heat Conduction) models charge down to -4°F (-20°C). If your battery lives in a heated space or you only travel in warm weather, an unheated battery does the job. Both carry Expion360's 12-year warranty.
How do heated and non-heated lithium batteries compare?
| Unheated Expion360 LiFePO4 | Expion360 with VHC™ heating | |
|---|---|---|
| Charges below 32°F (0°C) | No — the BMS blocks charging | Yes, down to -4°F (-20°C) |
| How it charges in the cold | Waits until the cells warm above freezing | Heats the cells first, then charges |
| Storage range | 32–131°F (0–55°C) | -4–131°F (-20–55°C) |
| Built-in monitoring | Not on most unheated models | SmartTalk™ Bluetooth on all VHC™ models |
| CAN Bus | No | Yes |
| Footprint | Standard | Same footprint; the Group 27 is slightly longer |
| Warranty | 12 years | 12 years |
Confirm the limits for your model on its spec sheet.
Which Expion360 batteries are heated?
| Model | Footprint | Voltage | Capacity | VHC™ heating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12V 100Ah SmartTalk™ + VHC™ | Group 27 | 12.8V | 100Ah | Yes |
| 12V 162Ah SmartTalk™ + VHC™ | GC2 | 12.8V | 162Ah | Yes |
| 12V 240Ah EX2 Edge | EX2 (4.2 in tall) | 12.8V | 240Ah | Yes |
| 48V 60Ah EX2 Edge | EX2 | 51.2V | 60Ah | Yes |
| Group 24 60Ah / 80Ah, 48V 36Ah GC2, 12V 450Ah EX1 | Various | — | — | No |
When do you need a heated lithium battery?
When the battery has to accept a charge while its cells are below freezing. That's winter camping, ski trips, hunting season, cold-climate boondocking, or any rig where solar or the alternator needs to refill the battery overnight in an unheated compartment. If the charge source runs while the cells are under 32°F (0°C), an unheated battery simply won't take the energy.
When is a non-heated lithium battery enough?
When the battery stays above freezing whenever it charges. That covers batteries mounted inside a heated living space, rigs that are stored for the winter, boats that come out of the water in the fall, and summer-only travel. An unheated battery still discharges in the cold within its rated range — the limit is on charging. Check your model's spec sheet for its discharge temperature range.
How does a heated lithium battery warm itself?
Expion360's VHC™ is a patent-pending internal heating architecture that manages heat distribution vertically through the cell stack, so the cells warm evenly from the inside. When a charge source is connected and the cells are too cold, the battery uses that incoming power to warm itself, then opens the charge circuit once the cells reach a safe temperature. It runs automatically.
Does a heated battery drain itself in the cold?
VHC™ heating runs when a charge source is connected and the cells are too cold to charge, so the battery warms itself using incoming power rather than its own stored energy. Once the cells reach a safe temperature it charges normally. SmartTalk™ reports cell temperature in the e360 app, so you can see what the battery is doing.
Is a heated battery bigger or heavier?
Slightly, on the Group 27. The 12V 100Ah SmartTalk™ + VHC™ measures 12.6 × 6.8 × 8.7 in and weighs 34 lb, against 11.9 × 6.8 × 8.6 in and 29 lb for the standard 12V 100Ah. The heated 162Ah GC2 uses the same 10.2 × 7.1 in footprint as the 48V 36Ah GC2. Measure your tray before you buy.