What Tariffs? Lithionics Touts Made-in-America Philosophy – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Lithionics has been in business since 2008, but over the past few years has made great inroads into the RV industry with its total battery power solutions.
The company, based in Clearwater, Fla., was acquired by Winnebago Industries in 2023 and has become a major supplier of lithium-iron-phosphate batteries for motorized RVs as well as towables.
From its beginnings with a team of engineers, Lithionics has been focused on innovation and safety.
“They had that foresight back then to say this is the best combination of safety, power density and the ability to store and transfer electricity,” Eric Meadows, president of Lithionics, told RVBusiness. “At that point in time, it’s just lead acid really and those kinds of products.”
Innovating in the lithium battery field, the company caught the attention of Disney, where the engineers developed batteries to power floats in the different parades held in the theme parks.
Disney wanted quiet, clean engines that weren’t belching fumes in children’s faces, but also wanted to ensure the safety of the products.
The team successfully met the difficult challenge and, soon after, Winnebago became the first major OEM to take on Lithionics products.
Today, the company produces a variety of products including battery management systems, smart alternators, chargers, power converters/inverters and other accessories.
Lithionics systems can be found on Class A, Class B and Class C motorhomes as well as towables.
“We hope to be recognized as the premium battery brand — valued for our focus on safety, reliability, and efficiency. Just as importantly, we want to contribute as thought partners in this space. Our engineers want to share what they know to support the growth of the industry,” said Krista Ragaini, director of marketing and client experience.
Meadows said that although the company’s focus is on lithium technology, it isn’t limited in that scope.
“The day something better than lithium-iron-phosphate comes out and is proven we will probably incorporate that,” he said. “Lithium is the third-lightest element on the periodic table, which makes it tough to beat in terms of a base element.”
Although Lithionics has products for all RVs, it has found its niche with B vans and with consumers who intend to go off-grid and need reliable power sources.
Recent shows such as the Overland Expo and Winnebago’s summer road trip featuring three of its off-road Class B products had a number of vehicles with Lithionics products on board.
“Our sweet spot is that boondocking kind of profile,” he said. “The B-van for us has really taken off. You need a smaller battery power system if you’re going to use battery. With the B-vans, a lot of them, these owners love to go off road.”
With the current success Lithionics is seeing, the company is a little wary of the coming tariffs on Chinese products.
All Lithionics products are assembled in the U.S., but the largest supplier of lithium is China, and there’s no escaping that fact.
Lithionics buyers have made an effort to acquire as much of the element as possible ahead of the tariffs to try to keep their products close to current prices.
Building and assembling the products in the U.S. also provides a certain measure of security.
“Every lithium battery has a BMS (battery management system), which is the brain — a small computer, essentially,” Meadows said. “Our hardware and software are designed and manufactured in the United States. That gives us a level of security and certainty of what we’re delivering, relative to battery companies that import those critical components predominantly from China.”
For more information about Lithionics, visit www.lithionics.com.
