Renogy 12 Volt Deep Cycle Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries - 50 Ah, 100 Ah, 170 Ah Models

Renogy manufactures several 12V deep cycle lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, that can be used for off-the-grid applications, as trolling motor batteries, RV house batteries, golf cart batteries, or anywhere else where low weight, high-capacity, and relatively low-drain currents are needed.

By combining lithium iron phosphate batteries as one of the safest lithium battery chemistries with advanced Battery Management System (BMS), Renogy has developed a group of rather versatile 12V batteries that can offer long operating life and lightweight design at acceptable price, at least for lithium batteries.

Published: February 2, 2020.

rng batt lfp12 100 1

Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries - Features and Specifications

Renogy 12V lithium iron batteries are based on the IFR26650 3.4 Ah batteries, connected so that they form a battery pack of desired size and characteristics.

Built-in Battery Management System (BMS) protect these batteries from battery over-charge, battery over-discharge and excessive load, including short-circuit protection.

Nonetheless, these batteries should be handled with utmost care (at least like AGM batteries) and preferably by professional technician.

If you are unsure, stay away from both large LiFePO4 and AGM deep cycle/starting batteries - they pack a formidable punch and large amount of energy that can make a lot of damage, injuries or worse ... Better safe that sorry! :)

When Renogy batteries arrive, be sure to read the manual/instructions thoroughly in order to familiarize yourself with the new unit.

Standard recommended battery charging and discharging currents are approximately 0.2C - 10 Amps for RNG-BATT-LFP12-50 (50 Ah model), 20 Amps for RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 (100 Ah model) and 34 Amps for RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 (170 Ah model) battery.

Technical specifications are given in the following comparison chart. For comparison reasons, top-of-the-line dual-purpose Odyssey 31M-PC2150 AGM battery is also listed.

Model RNG-BATT-LFP12-50 RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 RBT100LFP12S-G1 RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 Odyssey 31M-PC2150
Photo table rng batt lfp12 50 table rng batt lfp12 100 rbt100lfp12s g1 table table rng batt lfp12 170 odyssey 31m pc2150 1m 
Nominal Voltage 12.8 V 12.8 V  12.8 V 12.8 V  12 V
Nominal Rated Capacity (0.2C) 50 Ah 100 Ah 100 Ah 170 Ah 100 Ah @20h, 92 Ah @10h
Minimal Rated Capacity (0.2C) 47.5 Ah 95 Ah - 165 Ah -
Stored Energy 640 Wh 1280 Wh 1280 Wh  2176 Wh ~1200 Wh
Specific Energy 43.3 Wh/pound
95.5 Wh/kg
45.5 Wh/pound
100.4 Wh/kg

49.2 Wh/pound
108.5 Wh/kg

46.9 Wh/pound
103.6 Wh/kg
15.4 Wh/pound
34.0 Wh/kg
Energy Density 114.4 Wh/l 126.7 Wh/l 137.3 Wh/l 149 Wh/l 88 Wh/l
Internal Resistance <30 mΩ <30 mΩ  - <30 mΩ  2.2 mΩ
Number of Cycles (0.2C, 20+/-5°C)

100% DoD ~2000 Cycles, down to 80% of nominal capacity
80% DoD ~4000 Cycles, down to 80% of nominal capacity
50% DoD ~7000 Cycles, down to 80% of nominal capacity
30% DoD ~13000 Cycles, down to 80% of nominal capacity

80% DoD ~400 Cycles, down to 80% of nominal capacity
Charge Voltage 14.4 +/-0.2V 14.4 +/-0.2V  14.4 +/-0.2V  14.4 +/-0.2V  -
Recommended Charge Current 0.2 C (10 Amps) 0.2 C (20 Amps) 0.2 C (20 Amps)  0.2 C (34 Amps) -
Recommended Discharge Current 0.2 C (10 Amps) or less 0.2 C (20 Amps) or less 0.2 C (20 Amps) or less  0.2 C (34 Amps) or less -
Maximum Charge Current 50 Amps 50 Amps 50 Amps 50 Amps -
Maximum Continuous Discharge Current 50 Amps 100 Amps 100 Amps 100 Amps CCA 1150 Amps, MCA 1370 Amps, PHCA 2150 Amps, RC 205 minutes
Battery Management System Yes Yes Yes Yes No, AGM battery, to be charged with the suitable intelligent AGM battery charger
Connections in Series Forbidden Forbidden Forbidden Forbidden Yes, the same model recommended
Parallel Connections Yes, the same model only Yes, the same model only Yes, the same model only  Yes, the same model only Yes, the same model recommended 
Charge Cut-Off Voltage 14.6 V 14.6 V  14.8 V 14.6 V   -
Discharge Cut-Off Voltage <10 V <10 V  <10V <10 V   -
Over-Current Protection 150 Amps 150 Amps 130/150 Amps 150 Amps -
Dimensions (LxWxH)
+/-0.12 inches, +/-3 mm
7.76x6.53x6.73 inches
197x166x171 mm
10.24x6.22x9.69 inches
260x158x246 mm
11.4x6.8x7.4 inches
289x172x187.5 mm
13.66x6.10x10.63 inches
347x155x270 mm
13x6.8x9.41 inches
330x173x239 mm
(group 31 battery)
Weight 14.8 pounds (6.7 kg) 28.2 pounds (12.75 kg) 26 lbs (11.8 kg) 46.4 pounds (21 kg) 77.8 pounds (~35.24 kg)
Casing Material ABS+PC ABS+PC ABS+PC  ABS+PC  -
Terminals M8x20mm M8x20mm M8x20mm M14x14mm SAE; 3/8” Stud (Pos.), 5/16” Stud (Neg.) 
Cell Model IFR26650, 3.4 Ah IFR26650, 3.4 Ah  - IFR26650, 3.4 Ah  -
Cell Assembly Model 4S15P 4S31P - 4S53P -
Amazon Link RNG-BATT-LFP12-50 RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 RBT100LFP12S-G1 RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 Odyssey 31M-PC2150

Note: Amazon links open in the new windows, feel free to check them for the most up-to-date offers and prices. Also, Odyssey 31M-PC2150 battery comes in several versions, intended for different use (marine, automotive etc.), but they all have very similar features in terms of capacity, currents and weight.

rng batt lfp12 50Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-50, RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 and RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 are designed for deep cycle applications (low to moderate load) like electric vehicles, as trolling motor batteries, off-the-grid energy systems, UPS battery backups, medical equipment etc.

When compared with AGM SLA batteries, Renogy LiFePO4 batteries are lighter, have much larger number of charging/discharging cycles, and cost even few times more than equivalent AGM battery (in terms of capacity).

Battery Management System (BMS) features over-charge protection at 14.6 volts, overdischarge protection at >10 volts and over-current protection at 150 Amps or more.

As such, these batteries should NOT be connected in series in order to create 24V, 36V etc. battery packs. But, if larger capacities are required, these batteries may be connected in parallel, just be sure to use the same batteries.

Renogy LiFePO4 batteries are based on IFR26650 3.4 Ah lithium batteries - these are cylindrical lithium batteries 26 mm in diameter, 65mm in length, with typical capacity of 3.4 Ah.

Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-50 (50 Ah model) features 4S15P (4 in series, 15 in parallel) cell assembly model, RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 (100 Ah model) features 4S31P cell assembly model and RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 (170 Ah) features 4S53P cell assembly model.

Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries Advantages and Disadvantages

When compared with AGM batteries, lithium deep cycle batteries feature two main advantages:

rng batt lfp12 100- Number of Cycles: good AGM deep cycle or dual purpose battery can endure 300-500 cycles down to 80% of DoD. Renogy lithium batteries can withstand up to 4000(!) cycles down to 80% of DoD, with the capacity loss down to 80% of nominal capacity, when being discharged with 0.2C current. That is 10x more cycles on average.

- Battery Weight: Renogy lithium batteries feature specific energy of around 43-47 Wh/pound (95-104 Wh/kg), while Odyssey 31M-PC2150 features specific energy of 15.4 Wh/pound (34 Wh/kg), which is ~3x less.

Note: Odyssey 31M-PC2150 is dual purpose AGM battery, not exclusively deep-cycle AGM battery - there are deep cycle AGM batteries on the market that feature better deep cycle performances than Odyssey 31M-PC2150. But, Odyssey 31M-PC2150 also shows how 'bad' Renogy lithium batteries are in terms of cranking/starting features - for short, they are bad starting batteries and their BMS will cut them off at 150 Amps. Compare that with 2150 PHCA Amps of Odyssey 31M-PC2150 battery.

Main disadvantage of lithium batteries in general is their price.

As one can see, they do cost much more even when compared with anything but cheap Odyssey 31M-PC2150 battery. But, they also can withstand 10x more charging/discharging cycles ...

For price comparison purposes, the price of 'standard' 100 Ah 12V deep cycle UPG UB121000 Deep Cycle AGM Battery is also listed.

Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries as Trolling Motor Batteries

Renogy lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries can be used as excellent, deep cycle, lightweight 12V lithium trolling motor batteries.

Most trolling motors feature maximum current below or around 50 Amps, allowing even the smallest 50Ah model to be used for such trolling motors.

New, fully charged 170 Ah battery can power 50 Amps motor for over 3 hours and still have energy left.

If you need even larger capacity, combine either 2 or more batteries in parallel, just be sure to use the same battery model!

Note: be sure to check the instructions before connecting them in parallel. If unsure, let the professionals do the job for you ...

Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries as Kayak Battery

Since ocean-going fishing kayaks are getting more and more popular, finding good battery for such vessels can be rather hard - such battery must be lightweight, compact, and must be able to power various types of devices like small trolling motor, communication devices, multimedia devices, navigation lights, fish finders etc.

Also, if possible, such battery must be charged with lightweight solar panel/kit.

Renogy lithium batteries are perfect for such purpose - they are very light, they are strong enough to power kayak trolling motors and can easily power low drain devices like fish finders, GPS and similar.

solar kit

For example, Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit (Amazon link, link opens in the new window) weighs ~16.5 pounds (~7.5 kg) and can provide easily 500Wh per day with a single solar panel. If required, more solar panels can be connected.

Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries as RV House Battery

Recreational vehicles that feature dual battery electrical systems, by using lithium house batteries can save plenty of weight.

rng batt lfp12 170For example, five RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 batteries weigh approximately 232 pounds (~105 kg) and provides 850 Ah @12V. And that is a lot of energy.

When these batteries are connected in parallel, theoretically they can provide 750 Amps of starting current (BMS protection cut-off current at 150 Amps for each battery).

But in real life, no battery is the same, and slight imbalances exist, forcing some batteries to provide more current, leading to shorter operating life of all batteries in such battery pack, not just one or two.

Since 5 of these batteries cost a lot, use such battery pack only for low to moderate currents, deep discharge applications and get a good starting battery (AGM or lithium) for starting/cranking applications.

Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 vs Battle Born 100 Ah 12 Volt LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery

battle born battery lifepo4 100ah 12v mBoth Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 and Battle Born 100 Ah 12 Volt LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery feature same nominal capacity of 100 Ah.

Battle Born 100 Ah 12 Volt LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery physical dimensions are (L x W x H) 12.75 x 6.875 x 9 (~32.4 x 17.5 x 22.9 cm), while Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 physical dimensions are 10.24x6.22x9.69 inches (~26x15.8x24.6 cm).

Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 is shorter, narrower and slightly taller. Both batteries are rather light, with Renogy being somewhat lighter (28.2 vs 29 pounds).

Both batteries feature maximum continuous current of 100 Amps, but Battle Born can provide 200 Amps for 30 seconds, while Renogy feature safety cut-off at 150 Amps.

Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 is slightly cheaper battery, but the prices can vary.


Long Story Short: In similar manner, Renogy RNG-BATT-LFP12-50, RNG-BATT-LFP12-100 and RNG-BATT-LFP12-170 can be used as golf cart batteries, as off-the-grid solar battery, for electric vehicles, and anywhere where lightweight construction and large number of charging/discharging cycles are important.

For more reviews and recommendations, check Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries and Battle Born 100 Ah LiFePO4 12 Volt Deep Cycle Battery Amazon links (links open in the new windows).