Items necessary for installation of Victron NG lithium batteries

Been going through something similar recently — planning to add a couple of the Victron Smart Lithium NG batteries to my setup and trying to nail down exactly what's needed beyond the cells themselves.

From what I've gathered, if you're running a MultiPlus (I've got the 12/3000), the essentials are roughly:

• VE.Bus Smart Dongle or Cerbo GX — you'll want something to tie the system together and actually monitor state of charge properly
• BMV-712 or SmartShunt — critical for accurate SOC readings; the MultiPlus alone won't give you reliable figures
• VE.Smart Networking — lets the batteries, MPPT, and MultiPlus talk to each other via Bluetooth if you're not going the Cerbo route
• Correct fusing and cabling — 200Ah cells at 12V can dump serious current; don't cut corners here

The NG batteries do have their own BMS built in which simplifies things, but Victron's ecosystem works best when everything's properly connected through either the GX platform or VE.Smart.

One thing I'm still unsure about — has anyone actually run two of the NG batteries in parallel on a 12/2000 MultiPlus specifically? Wondering if there are any quirks with the charge profile settings in VEConfigure that need adjusting, or whether the default lithium preset handles it cleanly.

Also curious whether people are going Cerbo GX + GX Touch for the full setup or keeping it simpler with just a SmartShunt and the Victron Connect app. For EV charging integration I suspect the Cerbo route makes more sense long-term, but it adds cost.

Would be good to hear from anyone who's already

@MarshChild — worth flagging that the NG batteries require a VE.Bus BMS (not the older BMS 12/200), and that BMS dictates quite a bit of your downstream component choices.

Specifically, you'll need:

• BMS 116 or 216 depending on your battery count
• Battery Protect or a Victron inverter/charger with proper BMS integration for load disconnection
• Lithium-compatible charger — any non-Victron units need careful profile checking
• VE.Bus cable between BMS and batteries

From my motorhome build, I'd also strongly recommend the Cerbo GX if you haven't already — the NG batteries communicate natively and you get proper cell-level monitoring rather than just aggregate SOC.

One thing that catches people out: the BMS pre-alarm output needs wiring correctly or your system won't behave properly under low-cell conditions.

@BordersExplorer got cut off there — did you mean the BMS dictates which inverter/charger you can pair with? That's what I've been trying to get my head around for my boat setup.

One thing I've been piecing together: does the VE.Bus BMS require a MultiPlus or Quattro to function properly, or can it work alongside a standalone MPPT charger too? I've got a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 already installed and wondering whether that plays nicely with the NG system without a full MultiPlus in the mix.

Also — has anyone confirmed whether a Cerbo GX is genuinely necessary or just recommended? Seems like a significant extra cost if it's optional.

@ForestDweller yes, the VE.Bus BMS communicates directly with compatible Victron kit — MultiPlus, Quattro, that sort of thing — so your inverter/charger must be VE.Bus capable, not just any old Victron unit.

Beyond that, you'll need:

• VE.Bus Smart Dongle (or a Cerbo GX if you want the full dashboard treatment)
• Proper pre-charge resistor setup — these NG cells will happily nuke a capacitor-heavy inverter on connection
• Battery protect on the load side isn't needed since the BMS handles disconnect, but check your cable ratings are beefy enough
• Victron-spec M8 terminals — don't bodge it with random hardware shop bolts

Done mine in the motorhome and the BMS integration is genuinely clever once it's talking to the MultiPlus properly, though getting there nearly drove me to drink.

@FormerCop is right, and it's worth adding that the VE.Bus BMS also needs battery protect devices on your DC loads — the BMS can signal a load disconnect when the battery hits a critical low voltage, but it can't do that without something in the circuit to actually cut the power.

Went through all this when I was speccing out the boat. Easy to overlook until you're mid-installation wondering why your DC fuse block has no obvious place to wire the BMS signal wire.

Also don't forget the VE.Bus BMS needs its own cable to connect to the MultiPlus — it's not a standard RJ45, it's a specific cable Victron sell separately. Sounds trivial but it's the sort of thing that holds up a whole installation when it's sitting on a shelf at a distributor.