Porsche will offer as an option a lithium-ion starter battery in place of a standard lead battery on a few select models. Available in January for the 2010 911 GT3, GT 3 RS and Boxster Spyder, the li-ion starter battery will lower the car’s weight, as well as enhance performance and dynamics, Porsche says.
The pack comes in a separate unit and can be interchanged with the lead battery. The li-ion battery recharges more quickly, has a greater number of charging and discharging cycles, a lower self-discharge and a longer service life, Porsche says. While a lead battery only has 30% of its total capacity available at any given time, the li-ion battery does not have this problem.
When the charge level drops below a certain level, a warning signal tells the driver to charge the battery, which can be done either by driving the car with only the engine or using a normal battery charger.
Although lithium-ion batteries do not show a lot of promise at breaking into the SLI battery segment (standard starting, lighting, ignition), Porsche hopes racing enthusiasts will spring for the simple, low-weight replacement battery. And how much must they spring? The option will cost a healthy $2,400.
