Polinovel Scissor Lift Batteries for Aerial Work Platforms
Your lift only earns money while it is in the air. Polinovel builds LiFePO4 scissor lift batteries and traction packs for boom lifts and other mobile elevating work platforms, so a machine finishes the shift instead of waiting on a charger, and your fitters stop topping up cells with a watering can.
Tell us the lift model, the battery compartment size and what a normal working day looks like. Our engineers size the pack against that, not against a catalogue number.
Get a pack sized for your lift | See the aerial work platform battery range
Polinovel is a lithium battery manufacturer and supplier serving business customers only. Fleet operators, rental companies, OEM lift builders and service dealers are all welcome.
24 V and 48 V
System voltages listed for the Polinovel aerial work platform range
4000+
Cycle life stated for that range
5 years
Warranty stated for that range
−30 to 60°C
Operating temperature stated, IP54 sealed
These are the figures Polinovel publishes for its aerial work platform battery range as a whole. What applies to your machine depends on the configuration quoted, so check them against the datasheet that comes with your offer.
What a scissor lift actually asks of the battery underneath it
A scissor lift battery has a harder job than the amp hour figure on its label suggests.
The pack has to drive the machine between positions, lift a loaded deck against gravity, hold voltage steady while somebody works at height, and then take whatever charge it can get at a tea break. That combination is what separates a pack that lasts from one that limps.
Rental and contractor fleets run the same machine through very different duty cycles, which is why runtime cannot be quoted from a model number alone.
An access platform also lives outdoors as often as not. Sealing, vibration resistance and cold weather behaviour decide whether the pack survives year two, and they are specification choices you make at order time rather than fixes you apply later.
Deep cycling, every single day
Access machines get run down hard rather than topped up in shallow steps. Lead acid loses usable life quickly when treated that way. Lithium iron phosphate is normally worked at 80 % depth of discharge as standard practice, which is why cycle numbers quoted for the two chemistries are not comparable side by side.
Short bursts of very high current
Raising a loaded deck pulls far more current than driving does, in bursts of a few seconds. What matters is the continuous and peak discharge rating of the pack and how far voltage sags under that peak, not the capacity printed on the case.
Charging whenever a socket is free
Nobody schedules charging on a live site. A chemistry that tolerates partial state of charge and interrupted charges without a monthly equalisation routine fits how these machines are genuinely used.
Choosing between lithium and lead acid for an access platform
Three chemistries turn up in scissor lift batteries and other aerial lift packs, and the differences show up directly in cost per shift and in how much attention the fleet needs.
| Consideration | LiFePO4 | Lead acid | NMC lithium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal cell voltage | 3.2 V | 2.0 V | 3.6 to 3.7 V |
| Cycle life class | Thousands of deep cycles | Several hundred deep cycles | Fewer than LiFePO4 at equal depth |
| Discharge curve | Flat, so lift speed holds until nearly empty | Sloping, so the machine slows as it empties | Sloping, at a higher nominal voltage |
| Thermal behaviour | The most stable of the lithium options | No runaway risk, but vents hydrogen on charge | The least stable of the three |
| Routine attention | None. No watering, no equalisation | Watering, terminal cleaning, equalisation | None |
| Weight for the same usable energy | Much lighter | Heaviest, and often doubles as ballast | Lightest |
| Main drawback on a lift | Higher purchase price, and some machines need ballast adding back | Short life under deep cycling, plus the maintenance burden | Cost and thermal management |
An illustrative comparison of the trade offs between chemistries. Treat it as a shape, not as measured data for a specific pack.
Weight is the point most often missed on a conversion. On many lifts the lead acid blocks form part of the stability calculation. Take that mass out without putting it back and the machine behaves differently, which is exactly what the ballast option further down is for.
Working out how long a charge will really last on your machines
There is no honest single answer to how long a scissor lift battery lasts on one charge, because the machine, the work and the pack all decide it together. Anyone quoting you a flat number has guessed. Here is the sum an engineer runs instead.
The arithmetic behind the answer
Usable energy in kWh equals nominal voltage multiplied by capacity in Ah, divided by 1000, then multiplied by the depth of discharge you are willing to use.
Shift demand in kWh equals the average current while driving and lifting, multiplied by system voltage, multiplied by the hours the machine is genuinely moving, plus any auxiliary load such as an onboard inverter, site lighting or a welder.
Shifts per charge equals usable energy divided by shift demand. Anything under 1.0 means an opportunity charge during the day or a bigger pack.
Five things that move the result
Lift cycles. A deck raised forty times a shift uses far more energy than one parked at height for hours.
Load and terrain. Loaded travel over rough ground is the heavy case. Indoor slab work is the light one.
Temperature. Available capacity in the cold is below the rated figure for every chemistry, lithium included.
Auxiliary tools. Inverters and site equipment are usually left out of the first estimate and then dominate it.
End of life margin. Size for the capacity you will still have near the end of the warranty, not for a brand new pack.
Rather not do the maths?
Send the lift model, a photo of the battery compartment and a description of a normal day. Polinovel engineers will run the sizing and come back with a configuration, a datasheet and the compliance paperwork that goes with it.
Replacing the lead acid blocks in a lift you already own
Most scissor lift battery enquiries we get are replacements rather than new builds. A lithium pack is rarely a pure drop in, even when it fits the tray. These are the seven points that decide whether the swap goes smoothly or comes back as a warranty call.
| What to check | Why it decides the job |
|---|---|
| System voltage has to match exactly | A 24 V machine running four 6 V blocks and a 48 V machine running eight both become a single lithium pack at the same nominal voltage. If your lift currently uses GC2 sized golf cart blocks or similar 6 V and 12 V lead acid units, count the voltage from the data plate rather than from the number of blocks in the tray. |
| Compartment fit and mounting | One lithium pack replaces several lead acid blocks, so the footprint changes. Polinovel builds pack length, width, height and shape to drawing, which is the route used whenever a standard footprint does not suit the tray. |
| Ballast and machine stability | If the batteries you are removing contributed to stability, that mass has to come back. Polinovel lists integrated iron counterweight blocks as an option for exactly this reason. Any change that affects stability should be agreed with the lift manufacturer or a competent engineer before the machine goes back into service. |
| Charger compatibility | A lead acid charger applies a profile that does not suit LiFePO4, and that single mistake causes more damage than everything else combined. Settle at quotation stage whether your existing charger can be reprogrammed or has to be replaced, and which charger the pack is approved for. |
| Connectors and cabling | M8 lug, Anderson, REMA and aviation connectors are all available, so the existing harness can usually stay where it is. A photograph of the terminals is enough for us to confirm type and polarity. |
| State of charge indication | Older machines read remaining charge from pack voltage, which behaves very differently on a flat lithium discharge curve. The Polinovel AWP range supports the J1939 protocol so the machine can read state of charge, voltage, current and temperature directly. Where there is no data bus, an embedded or wired SOC indicator can be fitted instead. |
| Sealing for the real environment | IP54 is stated for the AWP range, with IP54, IP65 and IP67 available on custom builds. Match the rating to genuine exposure, whether that is indoor, outdoor or wash down, rather than specifying the highest number available by reflex. |
Not sure if your lift converts cleanly?
Compartment dimensions, terminal position and cable routing differ between lift models, so photographs shorten the quotation considerably.
Send the model and a photo of the battery tray. We will tell you plainly whether it is a straightforward swap, a custom enclosure job, or a machine best left on its current chemistry.
What Polinovel builds into an aerial work platform pack
The features below are what Polinovel publishes for its scissor lift and access platform range. Which of them appear on your pack depends on the configuration quoted, so treat this as the menu rather than the finished dish.
Built in our own plants, not bought in
Prismatic LiFePO4 cells are assembled into modules and then into complete traction packs. Polinovel manufactures at its Huizhou and Jiangxi plants, with headquarters in Shenzhen.
That matters on an access platform because the pack is not a shelf item. Enclosure shape, ballast, connector, communication protocol and sealing all get decided for your machine, and they all have to be made rather than selected.
See the full aerial work platform battery range, or the wider industrial equipment battery line.
Protection you do not have to think about
A heat resistant architecture with microprocessor controlled protection against overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, overheating and short circuit.
Machine data over J1939
Full J1939 support lets the lift read state of charge, voltage, current and temperature straight from the pack, so the operator sees the truth on the display.
Parallel packs that get along
Packs of differing capacity and state of charge can be run in parallel, with energy balanced between them during operation. Useful when a fleet grows in stages.
Built in preheating for cold sites
Integrated preheating keeps charging and discharging reliable at low temperature, alongside the stated −30 to 60°C operating range.
Leakage detection that saves the charge
The pack detects low current leakage from the platform system and powers itself down, so a machine left standing over a long weekend is not flat on Monday.
Measurement you can trust
High precision voltage and current measurement, including a fuel gauge calculation with temperature compensation.
Configuring a Polinovel lithium pack around your machine
When a standard pack does not suit the lift, these are the parameters Polinovel publishes for its custom battery solutions programme. They cover every equipment type we build for, so the combination achievable on your machine is confirmed at quotation.
| Area | Published options |
|---|---|
| System voltage | 24 V, 36 V, 48 V, 60 V, 72 V, 80 V, 96 V, 120 V, 144 V |
| Capacity | 80 Ah through 800 Ah |
| Discharge rate | 0.5C to 5C |
| Temperature range | −40 to 65°C on the custom programme, −30 to 60°C stated for the AWP range |
| Ballast | Integrated iron counterweight blocks, optional |
| Cold weather function | Self heating technology |
| Communication | CANbus, RS485, Bluetooth, GPRS |
| Operator interface | Embedded or wired SOC indicator, power switch, emergency stop button |
| Enclosure | Size and shape to drawing, SPCC cold rolled steel or stainless steel, IP54, IP65 or IP67 |
| Connectors | M8, Anderson, REMA, aviation and others |
| Branding | Housing colour, label and silk screen printing, carton and printed manual |
How a custom project runs from enquiry to delivery
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 01 Needs discovery | We review your project requirements and propose a configuration for the application. |
| 02 Component engineering | Every component from the cell to the fasteners is assessed against Polinovel quality standards. |
| 03 Qualified manufacturing | Quality inspections run through each phase of manufacture rather than only at the end. |
| 04 Compliant shipping | Packs are packaged and insulated per UN 3480 for transport. |
This is the four stage process Polinovel publishes for custom projects. Minimum order quantity, lead time, tooling, sampling and pricing are not published on this site and are confirmed directly by the sales and engineering team for each project.
Building or refurbishing lifts as an OEM?
Branding, enclosure drawings, connector standardisation and communication protocol can all be fixed at design stage so the pack drops into your production line.
What the decision costs you across five years, not five minutes
An illustration of where the money goes across five years. The cost categories are the point, not the bar heights. Your own figures depend on fleet size, labour rates and utilisation.
Lithium costs more on the purchase order. That is the whole of the argument against it, and it is a real one. The argument for it lives in the five columns to the right of the first bar.
Polinovel states 4000+ cycles and a five year warranty for its MEWP and scissor lift battery range, against the few hundred deep cycles that is the usual class figure for lead acid. If your machines cycle daily, the replacement column is where most of the difference appears. After that come the hours your fitters currently spend watering, cleaning terminals and running equalisation charges, and the hours a machine spends on a charger instead of on a job.
Work it out with your own numbers before you decide. Count the packs you actually buy across the period, the labour attached to them, and the downtime you are currently absorbing without pricing.
Keeping a lift battery safe and working through its whole life
LiFePO4 is the most thermally stable lithium chemistry in common industrial use, but a battery on a machine that lifts people still needs a routine. What follows is general good practice. Always follow the instructions supplied with your own pack, charger and lift.
Charging
Use only the charger approved for the pack.
Charge in a ventilated area clear of flammable material.
Never charge a pack that is damaged, swollen or has been submerged.
Opportunity charging is fine and needs no scheduled equalisation.
Handling and transport
Use the designated lifting points. A single pack is still heavy.
Cover terminals against short circuit in transit and storage.
Lithium batteries are regulated dangerous goods, so follow the rules for your mode and region.
Keep the shipping paperwork with the machine records.
Storage and end of life
Store at a partial state of charge rather than full or empty.
Keep storage dry and at a moderate, stable temperature.
Apply any BMS firmware updates the manufacturer issues.
Send retired packs to a licensed battery recycler.
Routine inspection
Check the case for damage, deformation or signs of leakage.
Check terminals and connectors for corrosion, tightness and intact insulation.
Confirm the BMS and any SOC indicator are reporting normally.
Keep the compartment clear of debris so airflow is not blocked.
Most field faults are connection faults. A short inspection routine catches them before they become a machine off hire.
Paperwork to ask any battery supplier for before you order
A battery going onto a machine that lifts people has to arrive with documentation, and that documentation is specific to the pack, the destination market and the transport mode. Polinovel lists UL, CE, IEC, UN 38.3 and MSDS among the documentation associated with its custom battery programme, and states that packs are packed per UN 3480 for transport.
Certificate scope, number and validity differ between configurations, so treat that list as the starting point for a request rather than as the specification of your pack. Ask for the following, from us or from anyone else you are comparing:
The UN 38.3 test summary for the exact cell and pack supplied. This is the document carriers and freight forwarders ask for.
The safety data sheet for the cell chemistry in the pack.
Any product certificate valid in your destination market, with the issuing body, certificate number and covered product range stated on the certificate itself.
The declaration of conformity naming the directives or standards claimed, where your market requires one.
The datasheet and user manual, including the approved charger and its charge profile.
Check that the subject named on each certificate matches the product you are buying and that the scope covers your configuration rather than a different model in the same family. A management system certificate such as ISO 9001 documents how a factory is run. It is not a safety or performance approval for an individual battery.
Questions buyers ask us before they order
How long does a scissor lift battery last?
Two different questions hide inside that one. Service life is counted in charge and discharge cycles, and Polinovel states 4000+ cycles with a five year warranty for its aerial work platform range, against the few hundred deep cycles that is the usual class figure for lead acid. Runtime per charge is a separate question and depends entirely on your machine and duty cycle, which is why no supplier can quote scissor lift battery runtime from a model number alone. The sizing method above shows how it is calculated, and our engineers will run it for you from the lift model and a description of a normal day.
Can lithium replace the lead acid batteries in a lift I already own?
Usually yes, but it is not a pure drop in. System voltage has to match, the pack has to fit and mount in the compartment, the charger has to suit LiFePO4 rather than lead acid, and any stability contribution the old blocks made has to be restored. Polinovel offers integrated iron counterweight blocks for precisely that. Older machines that read remaining charge from pack voltage may also need an SOC indicator or a data connection. Any change affecting machine stability should be agreed with the lift manufacturer or a competent engineer before the machine returns to service.
What voltage do electric scissor lifts and boom lifts use?
24 V and 48 V are the common system voltages on electric access platforms, and those are the two Polinovel lists for its aerial work platform range. The custom programme covers 24 V through 144 V for machines outside that pattern. Take the voltage from the data plate rather than from the number of blocks in the tray, because several block arrangements produce the same system voltage.
Does cold weather reduce performance on an aerial lift battery?
Yes, for every chemistry. Available capacity in the cold sits below the rated figure, and charging a cold lithium cell without preheating is what causes lasting damage. Polinovel states an operating range of −30 to 60°C for its access platform range and builds in preheating so charging and discharging stay reliable at low temperature. Self heating is also available on custom packs, with a −40 to 65°C range published for that programme. If your machines work outdoors in winter or inside cold storage, say so at enquiry because it changes the specification.
How should a lift battery be stored between jobs?
Store it at a partial state of charge rather than full or flat, somewhere dry at a moderate and stable temperature, with the terminals protected against short circuit. LiFePO4 self discharges slowly, so a machine standing for weeks generally stays usable, but the interval at which it should be checked and topped up is given in the manual for your specific pack. Follow that figure rather than a general rule of thumb.
What does Polinovel need in order to quote?
The lift make, model and year. The present battery voltage, capacity and chemistry. Compartment dimensions with photographs. The weight of the batteries coming out and whether they act as counterweight. The connector type and the charger in use. A description of a typical shift covering hours of motion, lift cycles, load and ambient temperature. Whether the machine reads battery data over CAN. And the destination market, because that decides the compliance documentation. Minimum order quantity, lead time, sampling and pricing are confirmed by the sales team against your project rather than published here.
Do you supply rental fleets and OEM lift manufacturers?
Yes. Polinovel is a scissor lift battery manufacturer and supplier working with industrial equipment builders, rental companies and service dealers, with plants in Huizhou and Jiangxi and headquarters in Shenzhen. Custom enclosures to drawing, branded housings and labels, standardised connectors and a chosen communication protocol are all part of the custom programme. Products and solutions are supplied on a business to business basis, so personal, residential and single unit requests cannot be handled.
How are lithium lift batteries shipped and disposed of?
Polinovel packs and insulates batteries per UN 3480 for transport. Lithium batteries are regulated dangerous goods, so the rules for your mode and region apply, and the UN 38.3 test summary for the specific pack is what carriers normally request. At end of life, route packs through a licensed battery recycler. LiFePO4 contains no cobalt, but a pack is still not general waste.
Where to go next on this site
The aerial work platform battery category for scissor lifts, boom lifts and other MEWPs, with the published specifications for the range.
Voltage, capacity, enclosure, connector, communication and ballast options, plus the four stage project process.
The wider industrial range, covering floor cleaning machines, mini excavators, AGVs, agricultural and mining equipment.
Send Polinovel your lift details and get a pack specified for it
The lift model, the battery compartment dimensions and a description of a normal working day are enough to start a scissor lift battery quotation. You will get back a configuration, a datasheet and the documentation that has to travel with the pack, from engineers who build these for a living.
Request a quotation | Browse the AWP battery range
sales@polinovelpowbat.com +86 755-28906569 Shenzhen headquarters, Huizhou and Jiangxi plants
Polinovel products and solutions are designed for business to business applications. Personal, residential and single unit requests cannot be assisted.