Use of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries in place of Lead Acid for FRC robot

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To play the other side....

Between not just longer charge life, but longer cycle life, it can be cheaper to use a lithium over the legal SLABs. Yes they can cost several times more, but you aren't cycling your legal batteries as much and so they last longer. I remember one team saying they did so much off season stuff they used up 10 batteries a year. I'm not going to debate if that's due to misuse or what. Regardless, their life span is also longer and can result in long term savings to a team.

At work, we expect a SLAB to last 2 years if not heavily cycled. In FRC I have found we will get 3 or 4 seasons. At work, we expect a lithium to last 5 to 10. Even with the increased up front costs, this can yield substantial savings in the long run.