LiFePO4 Batteries for Aerial Work Platforms & Scissor Lifts

Most electric slab scissor lifts in the world run on the same battery system: 24V, built from four 6V flooded lead-acid batteries of about 220–225Ah. It is a standardised platform — and it is exactly why lithium conversion is practical at fleet scale. LJY Energy supplies LiFePO4 battery solutions for aerial work platforms (AWP) to equipment dealers, rental companies, service and repair companies, and battery wholesalers. We coordinate pack configuration, charger matching and documentation for each machine model — because on a scissor lift, the battery is not just a power source. It is also part of the machine’s counterweight.

The standard scissor lift battery system

Across the major brands, electric slab scissors share a remarkably consistent battery architecture:

System voltage: 24V on slab scissor lifts; 48V on electric rough-terrain scissors and DC boom lifts
Standard lead-acid fitment: 4 × 6V GC2-size deep-cycle batteries, typically 220–225Ah (examples across the industry: Genie GS slab series at 225Ah, JLG ES series at 220Ah, Skyjack at 220Ah, Haulotte Compact at 225Ah C20, Snorkel at 220–225Ah; Dingli JCPT models run 24V lead-acid up to 240Ah)
Charging: onboard chargers of roughly 20–30A, most commonly programmed for flooded or AGM lead-acid profiles
Battery tray: sized for four GC2 cases — a flooded set weighs roughly 112 kg (248 lb) in total

Factory lithium is arriving on new machines — Genie offers a lithium option on GS E-Drive slab scissors, JLG lists lithium options on current ES models, and Chinese manufacturers such as Dingli and Zoomlion sell lithium-native variants. But the installed base of lead-acid machines is enormous, OEM lithium is not offered for every model or every market, and that is where a properly engineered conversion kit serves dealers and fleets.

Fitment matrix: battery systems by brand

The table below summarises the factory battery systems of the main slab scissor platforms, from the manufacturers’ published specifications, and the conversion path we would specify for each. It is a starting point for a model check — not a compatibility promise.

Brand / platform	Original battery system (OEM spec)	LJY conversion path	Confirmation status
Genie GS slab scissors (GS-1930 / 2032 / 2046 / 3246 class)	24V — 4 × 6V flooded, 225Ah	25.6V LiFePO4 kit, capacity matched to duty cycle	Per-model check; OEM minimum battery weights apply (see safety section). Factory lithium exists on GS E-Drive — we will say when the OEM path fits better
JLG ES slab scissors	24V — 4 × 6V, 220Ah (245Ah option)	25.6V LiFePO4 kit	Per-model check; current ES models also list OEM lithium options
Skyjack SJIII / SJ E-Drive slab scissors	24V — 4 × 6V, 220Ah	25.6V LiFePO4 kit	Per-model check; no factory lithium found in Skyjack’s public material
Haulotte Compact slab scissors	24V — 225Ah (C20); wide Compact 255Ah (C5)	25.6V LiFePO4 kit	Per-model check; note the C5/C20 rating basis when comparing capacity
Snorkel S-E slab scissors	24V — 4 × 6V, 220–225Ah	25.6V LiFePO4 kit	Per-model check
Dingli JCPT slab scissors	24V lead-acid up to 240Ah; factory lithium 24V / 220Ah offered on many models	25.6V LiFePO4 kit for lead-acid machines	Per-model check; where a factory lithium version exists, we compare honestly before quoting a conversion
LGMG AS / Zoomlion ZS / XCMG XG slab scissors	24V class (LGMG documents 4 × 6V 225Ah; Zoomlion sells lithium-native variants; XCMG does not publish Ah in its global brochures)	Case-by-case configuration	Nameplate and tray check required before quoting — published data is incomplete for some models
Electric rough-terrain scissors & DC boom lifts (48V class)	48V lead-acid, roughly 320–390Ah	Engineered split-pack project — not a standard kit	Feasibility confirmed per model before quoting

Rating bases differ between brands (C5 vs C20), so Ah figures are comparable only on the same basis. Micro scissors with 2 × 12V systems sit outside the standard kit format and are assessed individually.

The LJY conversion approach: a kit, not just a battery

A scissor lift conversion supplied through LJY Energy is quoted as a matched kit for a specific machine model:

25.6V LiFePO4 pack in a steel enclosure, sized to the model’s tray and duty cycle — capacity options across the 100–280Ah class, with low-temperature heating available for cold-climate fleets
Lithium-profile charger (or charger reprogramming where the existing unit supports it): LiFePO4 requires a lithium charge profile — approximately 29.2V CC/CV for a 25.6V pack, with no equalisation and no lead-acid float stage
State-of-charge metering: voltage gauges calibrated for lead-acid misread LiFePO4; a shunt-based SOC meter or BMS-linked display is part of a correct conversion
Weight and ballast review for the specific model — see the safety section below; where a model requires it, the kit specification includes weight compensation
Documentation pack: specification sheet, installation guidance and battery documentation provided per configuration on request

For 48V electric rough-terrain scissors and DC boom lifts (systems of around 320–390Ah in lead-acid form), conversions are engineered per model as split-pack projects rather than standard kits. Send us the model and we will confirm feasibility before quoting.

Inside the kit: bill of materials

A conversion is supplied as a complete kit for one machine model. A typical 24V slab-scissor kit contains:

Item	What it is
LiFePO4 battery pack	25.6V pack in a steel enclosure sized to the model’s battery tray; capacity specified per model from the 100–280Ah class; BMS with low-temperature charge protection, heating option for cold-climate fleets
Weight compensation	Ballast or weighted enclosure restoring the tray weight the machine’s documentation requires — included where the model check shows it is needed, and stated in the quote
Charger	Lithium-profile charger (approx. 29.2V CC/CV for a 25.6V pack, no equalisation, no lead-acid float) — or reprogramming of the existing charger where the unit supports a lithium profile
State-of-charge meter	Shunt-based SOC meter or BMS-linked display; the machine’s original voltage-based gauge does not read LiFePO4 accurately
Cabling & mounting hardware	Interconnect cables, terminals and hold-down hardware matched to the tray and pack
Documentation pack	Specification sheet, installation guidance and battery safety / transport documentation for the supplied configuration, provided on request

Why fleets convert: the lead-acid pain points

Watering and corrosion: flooded batteries in rental fleets need regular electrolyte checks; neglected watering is the top cause of premature pack failure, and acid corrosion attacks trays and terminals
Runtime and charging discipline: lead-acid delivers roughly 50% usable capacity and needs a full charge plus cooling time; partial charging shortens its life. LiFePO4 supports opportunity charging and a far higher usable depth of discharge
Replacement frequency: a flooded set in rental duty is commonly replaced several times over a machine’s holding period; lithium’s longer cycle life targets one pack for the machine’s remaining service life — JLG’s own total-cost material contrasts a ~120-month lithium horizon with typical rental holding periods
Maintenance labour: for dealers and rental operators, battery maintenance and failure callouts are a recurring cost line that lithium largely removes

Safety first: battery weight is part of the machine

This is the point generic battery sellers skip, and it is the most important section on this page. On many scissor lifts the batteries act as counterweight and are critical to machine stability. Genie’s operator documentation, for example, specifies minimum battery weights and prohibits fitting batteries lighter than the original specification; Haulotte’s documentation likewise restricts replacement batteries by weight. A lithium pack can be substantially lighter than the flooded set it replaces — a 25.6V 230Ah-class pack can weigh roughly 60 kg less than four flooded GC2 batteries.

Our position is simple: a conversion must be specified per machine model, with the weight question answered in writing before installation. Where the model’s documentation requires minimum tray weight, the kit must restore it. We do not sell universal drop-in packs for aerial work platforms, and we will tell you when a model should stay on its OEM battery path. Dealers and fleets get a documented kit; nobody gets a guess.

Who this is for

Equipment dealers — a documented lithium conversion offer for the lead-acid machines you sell and support, configured per model
Rental companies — pilot a conversion on one model family, measure downtime and maintenance change, then roll out by fleet batch
Service & repair companies — replacement and conversion supply with charger matching, instead of like-for-like flooded sets
Battery wholesalers — a standardised 24V conversion format for the access-equipment channel in your market

Request a model check

Compatibility is confirmed per model, never assumed. Send us the machine brand and model, the current battery specification, your charger model, and the fleet size you are planning for — we will confirm the kit configuration, charger path and ballast requirement for that model before quoting.

Request an AWP battery model check →