The Lion Safari ME Portable Power Station was examined by CleanTechnica.

The Lion Safari ME Portable Power Station is a massive power station that can scale up from the built-in 1kWh of storage capacity to about 3kWh by adding one of the Lion Energy’s Safari ME-XP expansion packs . It also delivers tons of base utility to wherever you need it. Both packs contain lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) cells, which are renowned for having a greater cycle count, longer life expectancies, and heat and thermal runaway issue resistance.

Disclaimer: For the purpose of this review, Lion Energy gave the author a Safari ME.

When you take the Safari ME out of the package, the first thing you notice is that it resembles a piece of military-grade gear. Massive handles make it simple to hold on to and appear ready to be transported into camp or attached to the back of a Hummer. With dimensions of 18.7″ x 12.8″ x 12.8″ and a weight of 45.5 pounds, it is a big item. Competitive packs with the more prevalent but less enduring NMC chemistry would have approximately twice the storage capacity and cost around the same.

The LFP chemistry used in the Safari ME does weigh more than similar chemistries, but it also has additional advantages that may balance this weight difference. Iron phosphate batteries are preferable for usage in portable devices that may be dropped or bumped around since they have a far more stable chemistry. On the other hand, NMC chemistries are vulnerable to thermal runaway when the cells are harmed, which can result in battery fires. Unlike the majority of lithium-ion chemistries, LFP batteries are more thermally stable and less likely to catch fire from thermal runaway.

LFP are also more durable than more conventional lithium-ion cells, supporting a far higher number of charge-discharge cycles. With full depth of discharge, the Lion Safari ME allows 2,500 cycles, and the Safari ME XP expansion should last an astounding 3,500 cycles, as opposed to 800-1,000 for comparable NMC chemistry-based packs. That is equivalent to receiving three or four times as many years of life for the price of one.

With some of the greatest power output ratings I’ve seen in a portable power station, the pack is more than capable when it comes to using the energy it has saved. It can handle peak power draws of up to 4,000 watts and sports a continuous output rating of 2,000 watts. That is very outstanding and demonstrates the high caliber of the built-in inverter.

We put the pack to the test because it is officially described as having a 922 Wh energy capacity. I turned on my dependable 800W water kettle and launched that vessel. It started consuming the energy right away, according to the power station’s monitor. Although the full-color display on the Safari ME is attractive, it regrettably does not show the current energy use or charging rates. It’s unfortunate that this lovely display lacks some of the most fundamental criteria. The high level indicators like “time remaining” and battery percentage are what we receive instead. If you know the pull of the connected devices, you can roughly estimate the battery capacity from these.

I stacked on the 500 watt Bonbowl induction cooktop with my water kettle plugged in and on, and the Safari ME didn’t even wink. As more time elapsed, the remaining time decreased linearly until only 800 watt-hours remained. I brought the Safari ME outside and connected in my Bosch Colt router because Lion Energy displays the Safari ME powering a variety of power tools.

It draws about 680 watts, but since power tool startup curves can be particularly taxing on power systems, I was interested to see how the power station handled the load. The Safari ME didn’t even flinch as I turned it up. Without a hitch, it powered the router for 10 minutes, and at maximum capacity, it could sustain 1 hour and 20 minutes of routing. At a job site, power tools are occasionally used, so it’s not difficult to picture the Safari ME being used as a daily driver to power compressors, table saws, and other power tools.

Through an Anderson connector, the Safari ME can be powered by solar panels to recharge. It’s not difficult to envisage mounting a modest 100 watt solar panel to a work truck to maintain a battery in the back of the truck charging during the work day. Plugging in a 100 watt solar panel recharged the power station from empty to full in 10 hours. It may also be charged in 85 minutes by unrolling the included charging cord and plugging it into a regular 120 volt outlet. Lion Energy went to the extra step of integrating the essential electronics right into the device in order to speed charging, unlike the majority of portable power stations that require an external charging brick.

A conventional 12v outlet, an Anderson connector, one of the two front AC outlets, one of the two USB-A ports, or both of the USB-C ports can be used as a power output. Although more AC outlets would be good, you may also add a power strip due to the high power output capability. Although it isn’t perfect, it also isn’t the end of the world.

Overall, the Lion Energy Safari ME is a competent mobile power source with less storage space and a higher instantaneous and peak power output than one may anticipate at this price point. This attractive all-in-one packaging stands out because to the integrated electronics. The large grips on top make it simple to transport, but at the expense of expanding the unit’s footprint.

Due to its greater stability and capacity to withstand more charging and discharging cycles, LFP chemistry has many advantages. Although expensive at $2,348, the system’s expansion capacity of 2 kWh for $1,749 with an Lion ME Expansion Pack allows it to be used as a backup battery for the home or even for some bigger business applications.

SPECS Price: Currently on sale for $1,996.65 and $2,349 MSRP. Weight: 45.5 pounds 18.7 inches by 12.8 inches by 12.8 inches are the dimensions. Output – AC: 2 outlets at 120 volts each with 2,000 continuous watts and 4,000 peak watts Two USB-A 5V @ 2.4A each at the output, and two USB-C 20V @ 3A each (60 Watt Max) PD Output: 1X 12V @ 15A for 12V 12V output 1X 12V @ 25A Anderson 12V input Anderson: 600 watts or more of PV solar 120 volts, input AC: 30A maximum Guarantee: One year

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