What many people fail to realise about a lead acid battery is that its capacity Ah rating is usually specified at the 20 hour discharge rate. At high rates of discharge the effective or "real" battery capacity is reduced considerably due to "Peukert's Effect". A typical 100Ah lead acid battery when discharged in an hour or two may have an actual measured capacity of as little as 60 70Ah. LiFePO4 batteries are not negatively affected in the same way by Peukert's Effect as are lead acid batteries. electric motor for boatsAnother great benefit of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries for boating applications is due to their inherent safety features. Since they do not produce flammable hydrogen gas under any circumstances even if overcharged a LiFePO4 battery can be safely installed in a confined place in a boat or ship without fear of a fire or explosion occurring. There is absolutely no maintenance required so a battery can be fitted into an out of the way space in an electric boat such as under seats, under stair wells, in the hull, etc. Due to slim cylindrical nature of many LiFePO4 cells a custom battery of virtually any shape can be made which will fit into any tight space in an electric boat. Battery cells can even be fitted inside a mast or inside hollow railings. electric motor for boatsAnother advantage of LiFePO4 batteries is their rapid charge capability. High quality batteries can be re charged extremely quickly.