Lion Energy Safari UT Series Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Safari UT Series?

The Safari UT Battery Series are the latest in Lithium battery technology. It replaces traditional deep cycle lead acid batteries with the safest Lithium Iron Phosphate. It is a drop in or "plug and play" battery because you can remove the deep cycle lead acid battery from your RV or boat and replace it with this superior preforming battery. It is used for auxiliary power and home energy storage too. It is not designed for cold cranking or as a startup battery for vehicles.

What does the Safari UT Series Battery power?

The Safari UT battery is an amazing Lithium Iron Phosphate battery that can be used for auxiliary power in RV's trailers, motorhomes, boats, cabins, sheds, gazebos, dump trailers, and where you need a reliable sources of stored energy. It replaces lead acid batteries and provides twice the energy because all of its energy (amp hours) can be used instead of only ~50% like lead acid batteries provide. For example, use it in an RV to power slide outs, lights, microwave, TV, AC, etc and get 2X the camping time on a single charge than a lead acid battery. Want to use it to power a trolling motor? No problem, and you'll get not only a longer use time, but it also weighs less than half a lead acid battery and that's a big deal in a boat. How about using it to store energy at a cabin so you can power lights, TV, and more? Yes, you can use it for that too. It can use 100% of the Ah stored in it and can be recharge over 3,500 times and still have 80% of its capacity left. (Note: The Safari UT battery is not a battery to use for starting vehicles.)

How long does Safari UT 1300 last?

More about the Limited Lifetime Warrenty.

The life of this Lithium battery is about 14 times that of deep cycle lead acid batteries. The Safari UT 1300 is a lifetime battery and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. It's that good! 

Life Cycles – each of our Battery Warranties has a Cycle Count warrantee component – this is the number of cycles we warrant the battery to be able to withstand and still yield the stated percentage of original battery life. For example, our UT1300 Battery is warranted for 3,500 Cycles up to 100% Depth of Discharge with 80% of original battery life remaining. This simply means that the consumer can fully discharge this battery 3,500 times and we warranty that it will still have 80% of the original 105 Amp Hours (80% X 105 = 84 Amp Hours) Remaining.

How long can the UT Battery hold a charge?

It will maintain its charge for up to 2 years without having to charge it. This is known as shelf life or storage life. However, we recommend using it more frequently, in the house, outside, on adventures, and for emergencies.

Can it store solar power?

The Safari UT Battery is a great energy storage unit for solar power from panels on homes, cabins, businesses, and RV's. It can harness the power of the sun. You'll need a charge controller between the solar panel and the Safari UT battery to regulate the energy flow from the panel(s) to the UT.

Do I have to maintain it?

The Safari UT battery is virtually maintenance free, meaning you don't have to use it or even trickle charge it every 3-4 months, deal with messy acid or water since it doesn't have any, or remove it from your vehicle and store it for the next season. It can hold its charge for up to 2 years and can be recharged and used over and over again for years and years.

Is it good in bad weather?

The Safari UT battery performs better than lead acid batteries in most weather conditions. It can charge between temps of 32 to 113° F and can discharge between -4 to 131° F. Outside these ranges it can discharge at a lower rate. It is water resistant too.

What's the rated capacity?

The Safari UT 1300 is commonly referred to as a 12V, 105Ah (how much energy is stored in it), 1344Wh. Technically, it is called Nominal Voltage at 12.8V and 105Ah. It can output 900A peak, then approximately 250A for one minute and 150A continuously.

The Safari UT 700 is commonly referred to as a 12V, 56Ah (How much energy is stored in it), 716 Wh. It's nominal voltage is actually 12.8V.

Can it be put in series or parallel?

Yes. You can increase the voltage in a Safari UT battery system by connecting them together from 12V up to 48V total (series). For example, 4 batteries connected together via + to - posts will make the four 12V become a 48V system. You can also increase the Amp Hours (Ah) from 105Ah up to 420Ah (parallel) by connecting them together via + to + and - to -).

What are the battery charging parameters?

We recommend setting all voltage to 13.9V, with a max of 14.6V. End amps or tail amps need to be set as low as possible and inverter low voltage needs to be set to 11.5V. Victron inverters charger and charge controllers should be set to 13.9V for a 12V inverter and 27.8V for 24V inverters. We recommend a good lithium charger.

What is a BMS?

The Safari UT 1300 has a smart internal Battery Management System (BMS) that acts as a safety net to shut down the battery if it is out of the parameters. This prevents the battery from over charging or discharging as well as operating outside of the temperature range.

Can I use my standard charger?

Yes! You could use a standard battery charger to charge the Safari UT 1300 and it will charge the battery. However, since most chargers are designed for a lead acid battery, they will not charge a UT 1300 completely. It usually puts the Safari UT 1300 at about 80-85% full. For best performance, we recommend a lithium charger, or a charger that can put 13.9V-14.6V into the battery

Can I charge the Safari UT 1300 from an alternator?

Yes. To prevent possible damage to your alternator, we recommend using the Redarc (Model #BCDC1225D), which is a DC-DC charger. It will safely charge your batteries while you are driving.

Can I use a heating element to keep my Lithium batteries above freezing?

If you want to use some type of heating element to keep the battery above freezing, you may want to use our Lion Energy Battery Warmer. We recommend you keep the batteries in an enclosed and/or insulated area.

How long does the Safari UT 700 last?

The life of the Safari UT 700 Lithium battery is about 14 time that of deep cycle lead acid batteries and it comes with a 10 year warranty.

How safe is the Safari ME?

The Lion Safari ME produces no emissions - none. It has no carbon footprint during use, emits no greenhouse gases and causes no damage to the environment. It’s safe to use indoors. The Battery Management System (BMS) adds safety controls.

CanI take this on a passenger airplane?

No. The Safari ME needs to be transported on the ground or on a cargo plane.

Whatis a BMS or Battery Management System?

A BMS regulates the energy usage in the battery and protects it from over usage. The Safari ME has a top-line BMS.

Is the Safari ME renewable?

The Lion Safari ME is part of Lion Energy’s pride of products that creates clean, limitless, renewable energy sources to power your life. It’s designed to be recharged through traditional AC power or renewable sources—the SUN. And you’ll get a virtually unlimited supply of power.

Is the Safari ME noisy?

No, it is silent when running. Occasionally a tiny noise may come from the internal fan.

DoI have to maintain the Safari ME?

The Safari ME is virtually maintenance free — no gas or fluids to put in it, no messy oil changes or parts to change. It can even sit without using it for up to a year. However, we recommend using it more frequent than that (at least every 6 months) so you get all the benefits of using portable power every day, around the house, the yard, outdoor, and on adventures.

What are the Safari ME and XP?

The Safari ME and XP are the latest in Lithium battery technology for portable power needs. They replace traditional noisy gas generators with the safest Lithium batteries on the market today. They are light weight for the amount of power and stored energy they have. Think of it as a safe, silent, renewable generator and extra energy storage without the need for gas, pollution or all that weight.

What does the Safari ME power?

You can use it to power a wide variety of devices like cell phones, laptops, tablets refrigerators, freezers, TVs, lights, hot plates or grills, power tools, and the list goes on. Virtually any device you can plug into a standard wall outlet, the Safari ME can power it. And with the optional ME-XP expansion battery, you can power all that for longer.

How can you figure out how long the Safari ME and XP will power specific devices?

The ME has a continuous 2,000W of power output (watts of power output) and over 900Wh (922 watt hours) of stored energy. The ME-XP adds nearly another 2,050Wh more when connected to the ME. That means you can power devices that require up to 2000W of power for various periods of time. To calculate how long the ME can power a device, use this formula: Wh / W = Estimated Run Time. For example, if the device requires 50W of power and the ME has 922Wh then the device can be powered for approximately 18.5 hours (922 / 50 = 18.44) If you use that same device but now with the XP connected to the ME, you'll have 2,970Wh to use in this formula (2,970 / 50 = 59.4).

How long can the Safari ME and XP hold a charge?

They will maintain their charge for up to a year (ME) or two (ME-XP) without having to charge them. This is known as shelf life or storage life. They will lose about 2-3% charge on average each month (more in the first month and less in subsequent months), assuming the unit is fully charge to begin with. However, we recommend using the ME and XP frequently, in the house, outside, on adventures and for emergencies.

Can the Safari ME and XP power an A/C unit?

The Safari ME outputs 2,000W and can power some AC units depending upon the brand and the watts each AC unit requires. Like with most devices, the power consumption varies from brand to brand and model to model. So you'll need to determine if the AC unit is less than 2,000W.Check out our videos tab for a detailed review on the ME. Remember, if you connect the XP to the ME then you get an extra 2,048Wh of stored energy to power things longer.

How can I connect the Safari ME and XP to my house?

You would need a home integration kit, which is generally found at home improvement/electrical supply/hardware stores.

Can the Safari ME and XP be used to store solar power or solar energy?

The Safari ME and XP are a great energy storage combo unit for solar power from solar panels. Together they can store 2,970Wh (watt hrs) of energy.

Why should I buy the Safari ME and XP?

The Safari ME and XP are made from the highest quality and longest lasting battery technology – Lithium Iron Phosphate. The Safari ME and XP are safe, silent and renewable, unlike gas-powered generators. The ME gives your power anywhere, anytime. The ME-XP gives you more time to power those devices.

Will the Safari ME and XP work with power tools?

Yes, most power tools will work just fine with the ME and XP. Some require more energy at startup (a surge) and may need to have a "soft start" component added to the ME that can be found at home improvement, electric supply, or hardware stores.