# Best Place To Get Reliable Lithium Battery Packs??



## tcr1016 (Dec 23, 2008)

I have looked on the net, and have not found alot of battery companies. I have been in the RC hobby for a decade, and know battery packs differ by reliably big time. What company, do most of you use for battery packs for your EV?

Thanks
Todd


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## Hollie Maea (Dec 9, 2009)

tcr1016 said:


> I have looked on the net, and have not found alot of battery companies. I have been in the RC hobby for a decade, and know battery packs differ by reliably big time. What company, do most of you use for battery packs for your EV?
> 
> Thanks
> Todd


Are you talking about resellers or battery types? The overwhelming favorite battery type for users on this forum is CALB brand Lithium Iron Phosphate. There are a number of resellers with prices clustered between $1.00 - 1.50 per amp hour.

Recently, some people hunting for lower prices are looking to salvaged batteries from OEM vehicles in the junkyard.

There are lots of other options, but those are currently the most common.


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## pdove (Jan 9, 2012)

tcr1016 said:


> I have looked on the net, and have not found alot of battery companies. I have been in the RC hobby for a decade, and know battery packs differ by reliably big time. What company, do most of you use for battery packs for your EV?
> 
> Thanks
> Todd


CALB are the best ones I have tested. You can buy them from many EV parts sellers. China Aviation Lithium Battery co. Makes them.

They have less sag under load of the ones I have used.


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## tcr1016 (Dec 23, 2008)

I have seen people use Lithium Ion 18650 battery packs. One of the biggest is Tesla. Do EVs use these now?


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## Karter2 (Nov 17, 2011)

tcr1016 said:


> I have seen people use Lithium Ion 18650 battery packs. One of the biggest is Tesla. Do EVs use these now?


Only Tesla and one or two other " commercial" EV producers .
You need to assemble/connect ~ 100 single 18650 cells for each kWhr of pack capacity, and that is a daunting task if you want a 10 or 20 kWhr pack 
You can get 1 kWhr from a single large CalB cell, so large EV size packs are much simpler to assemble.
Cost is also not the most attractive at with 18650's being 1.5 -2 times the cost of CalB on a $/kWhr comparison .
For suppliers, look at some of the side bar sponsors on this forum.


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## Sunking (Aug 10, 2009)

tcr1016 said:


> I have seen people use Lithium Ion 18650 battery packs. One of the biggest is Tesla. Do EVs use these now?


Sure if money is no object and you have a fabrication facility at your disposal.


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## pdove (Jan 9, 2012)

tcr1016 said:


> I have seen people use Lithium Ion 18650 battery packs. One of the biggest is Tesla. Do EVs use these now?


Too much trouble if you ask me. Hundreds of connections to make.

It is safer to use LiFePO4 batteries like the CALB than LiCoO2 like the 18650.


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## Hollie Maea (Dec 9, 2009)

Karter2 said:


> Cost is also not the most attractive at with 18650's being 1.5 -2 times the cost of CalB on a $/kWhr comparison .


18650s are kind of unique in that there is a massive drop when you buy in volume. Buying onesies or low volume, they are 3-4 dollars per amp hour. Once you get up to a few thousands, prices can drop below $1 per amp hour. That's the cheapest cell cost you can find apart from salvage packs.

Still, without a high quality differential welder, it's a daunting challenge to make a decent sized pack out of them.

Also, not all of them are created equal. The ones with the highest capacity are generally Lithium Cobalt Oxide. They struggle to output current--2C is pushing it for peak output, so you really need above 50kWh pack to get the power delivery you need. On the flip side, some of the Lithium Manganese Oxide and Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum cells can easily hit peaks above 15C.


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## Wilson (Dec 23, 2014)

tcr1016 said:


> I have seen people use Lithium Ion 18650 battery packs. One of the biggest is Tesla. Do EVs use these now?


a lot of EVs using 18650, no doubt.


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## Ivansgarage (Sep 3, 2011)

Have you seen this video building his own tesla packs.


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## Wilson (Dec 23, 2014)

Ivansgarage said:


> Have you seen this video building his own tesla packs.
> 
> Not the video, I have seen some drawings and photos, we do use a lot of 18650 building EV battery, there are some photoes in my album.


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## rtz (Jul 3, 2013)

Here's a start: http://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=329


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## Wilson (Dec 23, 2014)

Great! thanks


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