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Jun 09, 2023

Optima ORANGETOP Lithium: The End to Dead Vehicle Batteries?

An end to dead batteries? Jump-starting a thing of the past? That’s the promise of Optima CPR technology. Optima battery has finally entered the lithium age with a new color to show for it. The

An end to dead batteries? Jump-starting a thing of the past? That’s the promise of Optima CPR technology.

Optima battery has finally entered the lithium age with a new color to show for it. The ORANGETOP series is a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry starter battery that packs as much brain as it does brawn.

Optima has been a trusted name for decades and was one of the pioneers of sealed lead acid technology. Its colorful REDTOP, YELLOWTOP, and BLUETOP batteries are a common sight under the hoods of muscle cars, powerboats, and ATVs. The newest ORANGETOP addition to the family is Optima’s smartest offspring yet.

Lithium batteries are more energy-dense than lead batteries. This means they pack the same energy with less weight in a smaller package. Lithium often has a longer cycle life than lead does, so even if you pay more upfront, it will last longer and can save you money in the long run.

Lithium cells are also 100% sealed and Optima ORANGETOP has an IP67 waterproof rating. You don’t have to worry about off-gassing or leaking acid like some lead batteries, which means you can even mount them inside passenger compartments. They can also be mounted in any orientation since there is no risk of leakage.

While lead batteries are a “dumb” technology, lithium batteries require some brains. To prevent damage, lithium packs require a Battery Management System (BMS) to babysit the cells. The BMS is a tiny computer that shuts off the pack if it gets too low or if it is charged improperly.

The BMS offers some great features in addition to safeguarding your cells — it can safeguard you, too. Lead acid batteries can spark violently and possibly cause burns if the terminals are shorted. A smart BMS will sense short-circuit events and stop a discharge from occurring.

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Smarter still, Optima’s CPR technology can bring your “dead” car back to life. Have you ever left a dome light on only to find your car won’t start the next day? Parasitic energy draws like lights are a common cause of dead batteries.

The Optima ORANGETOP CPR technology will sense these loads and disconnect itself from the vehicle if the cells are draining too low. This is a very clever trick!

The ORANGETOP reserves just enough juice to start your car when you return. No more dead batteries.

That means you’ll never again find yourself begging for jumper cables in the middle of a snowstorm where the only thing colder than your toes is the icy glare from your mother in the front seat who is late for her bridge game. Priceless, right?!

Or, look at it as a holiday gift for your spouse. They’ll never be waiting out in the cold for you to show up with a jump on a cold night after work. Bonus, you win, because you don’t need to go out on a cold night and provide said jump.

Optima lithium ORANGETOP batteries aren’t just for cars, SUVs, and trucks, as they are a great solution for 95% of your powersports toys as well. The lithium weight difference is really noticeable on lighter vehicles like UTVs and motorcycles.

The full Optima ORANGETOP range features sizes from 3 Ah to 15 Ah, with 190-800 Cold Cranking Amps of starting power.

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We’re anxiously awaiting pricing info from Optima. But we do know that ORANGETOP batteries should be on U.S. store shelves by February 2023.

I would’ve loved an ORANGETOP in my dual-sport motorcycle on my last trip. The CPR feature would’ve saved me from pulling out a toolkit in the mud to get at my battery that was low from — you guessed it — leaving my lights on.

Here’s hoping that Orange is executed as well as Optima would suggest, this is the product we didn’t know we were missing for many years. Keep an eye on its website for updates and where you can buy one yourself.

We take electricity so much for granted – until the next ice storm knocks out your power, or you miss that Zoom meeting because your laptop is out of juice. Read more…