EarthX Inc

I want to thank all of you that have reached out directly to us this past week and we are always happy to answer your questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us any time we can be of assistance. (sales@earthxbatteries.com or 970.674.8884) We agreed to participate in this forum by request to add expertise directly from the manufacturer. We know few readers reply to a post, but we know there are many reading this, so we invested time for your benefit. With over 12 million flight hours and counting, with tens of thousands of aircraft in the skies currently using EarthX batteries, teams of DER’s, DAR’s, ODA’s, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers, experts on aircraft design, engine experts (the largest engine manufacture in the world, Rotax, private labels the EarthX brand) we are confident and proud to offer a well-designed, safe, and highly reliable FAA TSO STC approved lithium battery alternative to the GA market and this new technology brings many advantages. We do have confidence in engineering data, empirical data, and historical data and pilots using good judgment as we believe they go together. We also expect pilots to adhere to procedure and training for the safety of all. On a personal note, from a person who shares the skies with my own Mooney and has many commercial pilots who are friends and family, disregarding and ignoring emergency procedures is not flying safely, nor good judgement, nor prudent risk mitigation and it puts everyone at risk. Your aircraft is designed to avoid single points of failure. Your alternator is your primary source of power with the starter battery as back up. (If you are flying IFR, your equipment will also have back up power). In the rare event of your alternator or battery failing, you are to “land as soon as practical” and shed to emergency load. The EarthX battery is designed to provide 210% more energy than the minimum requirements set forth by the FAA in the Mooney which is over 1.5 hours of time for you to find a practical place to land. If you choose to continue to fly and not follow emergency procedures, then you should use engineering data to calculate how much energy you will need to get where you want to go as even the Concorde with double the Ah may not be enough for you.

Let me try and explain this another way. Amp hour and cranking power are related. In order for Concorde to achieve 390CCA, they needed a 29Ah battery. They did NOT need this much capacity to meet the requirements in the event of an alternator failure. A lithium battery can have half the amount of amp hours and achieve the same cranking power as a lead acid battery and meet the requirements in the event of an alternator failure. The EarthX battery is FAA TSO and STC approved. It has undergone over 161 regulation required testing over the past 5 years and the 15.6 Ah was proven to meet and exceed requirements by a 210% margin for the Mooney’s we have the STC for. So my question is, what engineering data do you have that supports the need for 30+ amp hour battery? Everything about your plane is engineered and designed for a reason. From the length of your wings to the size of your fuel tanks to the engine size, etc. Having double the gallons of fuel would certainly get you farther distances, so why did they not do that? Having a larger engine or even a turbine would certainly get you more power, so why did they not do that? Being a pilot means you need to be aware and follow operating procedures, most certainly the emergency procedures. Per your POH, in the event of an alternator failure, you are to shed non-essential load and "land as soon as practical" (this verbiage varies slightly depending on the manufacturer of the plane but is consistent for all aircraft). This does not mean you fly to the farthest airport you think you can reach; it means you land as soon as practical. It should also be noted, that even if you have an alternator failure in conjunction with a battery failure, (which includes depleting it fully, regardless if it is a lithium battery or a lead acid battery) your plane will continue to fly. So again I ask, what engineering data do you have to support the need for 30+ amp hour battery?

Couple of notes, the Cirrus G7 is a 28V aircraft, not 14V. The EarthX battery used in the Cirrus has slightly MORE capacity than the Concorde RG24-11M battery, 11.7Ah vs. 11Ah. The Cirrus G7 has many upgraded features, including the IQ app, that needed a higher capacity battery for this reason. The EarthX battery has 400 cranking amps vs the 160 cranking amps of the RG24-11M battery and weighs 7.2 pounds, vs. 26.6 pounds, for a 19.3 pounds weight savings. As this is a Mooney forum, we will refrain going into the details of the features of the new Cirrus G7 but your assumptions that the battery tray is the same is incorrect and that your client will switch it back to a “good old Concorde” and “put a real battery back in” are also incorrect as the G7 is engineered and type certificated using the EarthX battery. The “data” point that the battery “just failed” is interesting as part of the RS-232 communications the aircraft has with the IQ app provides real time data and a detailed report of state of charge among many other features, including the health of the battery. (Again, as this is a Mooney forum, I will refrain from more details) Part of this electrical upgrade does mean the aircraft uses power when shut down and your client should be mindful of this and follow the provided guidance from Cirrus on how this system works. The statement that there was a “cascade of failures” resulted from the battery being drained is also interesting as the battery has protection built in for something like this and would simply need to be recharged. No damage to the battery or the aircraft system. Lastly, you assume that the EarthX battery appears to not come back quickly with use of ground power. This is not correct. There is no reason it can not be charged from ground power if the correct guidance for the Cirrus aircraft is followed. We do offer an extensive amount of information on our website designed to help educate and inform potential new customers (and OEM’s) about the EarthX batteries so you can make an informed decision based on factual data. We offer manuals, FAQ’s, Fact sheets, and we are actively working on providing more video presentations of information for those who do not want to read. We also provide good old school communications, and you can call us at 970.674.8884 ext. 2 so please don’t hesitate to reach out this way if this is what you prefer.

Hi Graf, If your battery is almost empty or fully drained, it will not have enough energy to start your plane. It should be charged before takeoff with a plug in the wall charger, regardless of what type of chemistry battery you have. However, if your lithium battery is slightly depleted and your alternator is topping it off after starting, this is from our FAQ seciton of the website: I just installed my EarthX battery in my aircraft and started the engine and my charging amps was really high, is this normal? Yes, this is normal. A lithium battery can and will accept a much higher charging current than an equal size lead acid battery. If your battery is not fully charged, your alternator can potentially output a current equal to or slightly above the alternator’s rating for a few minutes to top the battery off. As far as your questions about your alternator, I would recommend you reach out to your alternator manufacturer and ask them what happens if the alternator is putting out its rated amperage as they will be the experts on answering that question.

Hi Ross, I totally get what you're saying and your concerns after having something like this happen to you and having a lower capacity battery makes you uncomfortable, whether it meets requirements or not. I get it. The EarthX battery is designed with purpose and intent. We did not design the battery to have double the capacity for a reason. The more capacity, the more cranking power, the more cost. It would have way too much cranking power for your system at around 760CCA. The 15.6 Ah did exceed what has been determined as the safe capacity for a pilot who follows their POH and engineered to have a 150% margin with nighttime flying IFR conditions. The capacity testing requirements are performed to ASTM F2490-20 for electrical load shedding from cruise to emergency conditions if you find yourself in flight without an alternator. It does assume the pilot follows procedures in their POH and begin shedding their load. If you have critical equipment, you must have a backup power source. In the event of an alternator failure, there are many ways your plane alerts you to this situation and this can be different depending on the equipment you have installed. The ETX900-TSO also has a required LED to be installed on your panel and alerts you with a flashing LED light when you have drained the battery to 70% of its capacity. All certified products are tested to what is not only sufficient in practice, but also built in margins of error. They are not designed to theory.

Hi Pinecone, just an FYI, I have a M20K with the ETX900-TSO installed and it did change our CG forward 1/2 inch. We use the storage shelf above the battery to hold our spare oil and tools now.

Hi Mike, I apologize, I focused on the part of the post that said "spraying acid all over the inside of the battery box, which then dripped out the drain onto the tarmac" as that clearly would not happen to the plane if it was a lithium battery. In the scenario of someone using a 24V jump on a 12V battery, the BMS protects the battery only, the BMS does not protect the other equipment on the plane.

Hi Z W, Sorry to hear that happened to you! EarthX does have built in protection for many different "abuses" that can happen with a battery and over voltage is one of them. (This is why Cirrus coined the phrase that is it a "smart" battery). But to answer your question, nothing would have happened to the battery if a FBO used a 24V jump pack on your 12V battery as it protects itself from such an event. However, your other equipment that is 12V would have still been damaged. Part of the built in protection features is the battery has a local LED light indicator and it is also remotely mounted on your panel as the battery can annunciate to you with different flashing codes if something is outside of normal and should be investigated. Here is a link to a quick reference on what is being monitored: https://earthxbatteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/220707-LED-Indicator-Quick-Reference.pdf It has been said that lead acid batteries do not need anything like this and the built in electronics is something to worry about failing, but as you experienced firsthand, protection would be a welcomed feature if it was possible, but acid does not play well with others, and it is not possible to have built in protection.

Hi Ross, Just a clarifying note, the 161 tests over the 5 years take into consideration every conceivable test/scenario you can imagine..... and then more. About the only "ground" test is to start the plane.

Hi Hank, We gave up trying to guestimate when the FAA will approve any of the STC's but it will be before you need a new battery.

Hi Mike and Shadrach, I copied my earlier response as it does explain why we did what we did. In order to attain a FAA TSO approved lithium battery with an STC for a certified aircraft, it took over 5 years of time and resources, encompassing over 161 different tests to be completed and passed to engineer a battery that meets or exceeds all of the safety and performance regulations. The ETX900-TSO model with 15.6Ah achieved this. I understand you WANT more, but more is not needed based on A LOT of empirical data and tests. There is engineering and FAA regulations to govern the safety and reliability for everything on or in your plane. From the fuel tanks and how many gallons you can carry, to the wheels, to the propeller, to the length of your wings, etc. This battery is no different. I agreed to come on this forum to help answer questions for knowledge and understanding as up until now, you had no other choice but a lead acid battery. We worked very hard to provide an alternative choice, and it is just that, a choice.

Thanks Mike for correction of my typo and I did correct it. Good catch. I did notice you mentioned a 20 pounds weight savings if you are currently using the RG35AXC, but it would be a difference of (32-5.4=26.6) almost 27 pounds. And as I mentioned in my post, if you need more than 60-90 minutes to be able to find a place to land in the event of an alternator failure, then the ETX900-TSO battery would NOT be a good choice for you and you should absolutely use a higher capacity battery. Again, I want to reiterate, it is very important as a pilot of know exactly how much energy you need in the event of an alternator failure, so you know how much time you have to land. This is why you must have your battery checked annually for its capacity as time will decrease the name plated Ah. If you need 10 amps an hour, then you know that with the EarthX battery, you have 1.5 hours to land. If you had the RG35AXC, you would have 3.5 hours to land. Me personally......if my Mooney has an alternator failure or any type of component or part failures in flight, I am looking for the nearest airport to land, not what is the farthest one I can get to.

It should be noted that all of your electronics have circuit boards to protect them and make sure they operate correctly, from your TV, cell phone, Laptop, to your glass panel of instruments. This is not a new or novel concept. Part of the features of the BMS in the battery is it can alert you to an issue that is outside of normal so you can investigate and mitigate a potential issue before it even happens. A lead acid battery can not do that. The more knowledge you have about your aircraft, the more reliable your systems and you increase your safety. We are all for that.

Hi Don, The FAA requires separating STC's by where the battery is located. This is one of the areas that a lead acid would never pass the tests imposed on a lithium battery, which is a 2,000 degree Fahrenheit blow torch fire, no air flow, and 15 minutes of duration to illustrate nothing happens. We have finished all of the testing requirements for engine installation applications back in October of 2023, and it takes this long (and counting) for the final approvals of adding new models to the AML STC. Once this happens, we will have many more aircraft added. We do have a destructive video that might be of interest here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIcKIIiHi6U

Hello All, We were contacted today by one of your members and asked if we would be willing to come on this forum to answer some questions, and we are happy to do so. I apologize in advance for the length, but I wanted to try and provide you with information. EarthX is passionate about updating and upgrading one of the oldest technologies still used in today’s aircraft, and at an affordable price so all who want it, can afford it. We know for some of you in the certified aircraft world, this might seem “new and novel” but EarthX has been in the experimental aircraft market since 2013 with tens of thousands of batteries in the marketplace today and you will find an EarthX in every brand of experimental aircraft out there. To achieve a TSO approved lithium battery with an STC, you must pass 65 safety and reliability tests on the battery itself; the BMS must pass 83 safety and reliability tests (regulation DO-311A); you must pass 6 flammability tests (of which a lead acid battery does not have to do based on the fact it is grand-fathered technology before the FAA was around and the hydrogen gas created during a test such as this would be extremely explosive and dangerous with fatal fumes if inhaled) and lastly 7 ground tests in the particular aircraft for the STC. It is extensive, takes years, and very expensive for a manufacturer and why so many are not willing to pursue or invest in the GA market. The Mooney M20 series was in our first batch of approved STC’s almost 2 years ago now for the E, F, J and K models. (We so loved this plane that we personally bought one and then learned to fly it as a testament to how much we loved this plane!) We were unable to verify the original battery model spec’s for these planes, but there is data on what replaced them, which was the Gill RG35. · The battery is a 23Ah, 27 pound, 250CCA battery. · Then Concorde made an upgrade for the Gill battery with their RG35. This is a 29Ah, 29.5 pound, 390 CCA battery. · Next, Concorde made another upgrade to their own model with the RG35AXC. This is a 33Ah, 32 pound, 440 CCA battery. (corrected Ah rating on 8-20-2024 as I had a typo, sorry!) · The EarthX battery for the M20 series is the ETX900-TSO. This is a 15.6Ah, 5.4 pounds, 390 CCA battery. The question/concern I am seeing on this thread is, why is the EarthX battery have much less capacity? The answer is rather simple, back when this aircraft (and many other GA aircraft as this is an old market) was designed, to have enough cranking amps to turn over the engine, they had to have more capacity (Ah) as these 2 things are related. The more the capacity (Ah), the more the cranking amps. The engine in the Mooney’s has not changed. It is the same engine from 50+ years ago. You never needed that much capacity (Ah) to meet the safety regulations/requirements if your alternator failed and you are flying on battery power only. The more capacity you have, the more weight you have. These are also related. When testing and engineering what would be the ideal capacity and cranking amp lithium battery as a replacement for hundreds of aircraft that use the Concorde and Gill batteries, the ETX900-TSO with 15.6Ah and 390 CCA’s was determined as it meets all the safety requirement needed for capacity and met or exceeded what the engines required to turn them over. This lower capacity was not a mistake, or an oversight, or even a mistake on the FAA’s part to approve it, but a tested and engineered solution. At 15.6Ah, the battery will provide over an hour of equipment operation used in the event of an alternator failure. If you fly your Mooney into locations where you do not have any airports to land at over an hour period of time, then this is a significant spec and you should have a higher capacity battery. This is a very rare situation. The amount of energy you need to operate your equipment in a scenario such as this should not be a guess, you should know what your amperage draw will be and how long you can fly until you deplete your battery, lead acid or lithium. Which brings me to the next consistent comment I am seeing, the increase in cost. We also studied this in depth as we wanted all to be able to afford it, versus a few. There is a TSO 14V lithium battery on the market with 26 Ah capacity, 10 pounds, and 425CCA that retails for $2,499. This does not include the STC cost as this is a separate charge (once one is attained), nor does it cover the installation kit costs. For those of you that believe the $200 premium for an EarthX brand is expensive, how many of you would upgrade to a 10X premium increase? Our experience and market research data says: no one. If you don’t need it to meet the safety requirements and performance needs, why would you do it? Increase capacity means increased costs. The benefits of upgrading your battery technology is much more than just weight savings. However, instantly removing 22-26 pounds is a significant weight savings! You will increase your useful load, save in fuel costs, the increased resting voltage of 13.28V compared to 12.6V means a stronger more reliable start every time, increased climb rate, shorter take off role, much lower discharge rate so you spend more time flying and less time charging and it comes with a battery management system that makes your battery smart, and it can alert you to something outside of normal so you can preventatively deal with a potential issue vs. a surprise during a trip. This upgrade in technology is happening and why new aircraft, such as the Cirrus G7 as an example, come from the factory with an EarthX lithium battery and more and more are following suit. We are excited to help this advancement become a reality.