# Battery advice please



## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Hello all, 
I've been trawling round battery suppliers here in the UK, and have finally found dealers who can sell me the 18 x 8v's I need at the right price.

I'm torn between US battery or Trojan, 

US - 8VGCHC-XC @ 183Ah or 8VGC-XC @ 170Ah

Trojan - T 875 @ 170Ah or T-890 @ 190Ah

In both cases the larger Ah capacity adds about $1100 to the price!

I can get both makes for give or take the same cost, but what would you guys with experience recommend as the better batteries? Also, is it worth the extra $1.1K for only 13-20Ah extra!, ie. will the larger capacity units have a longer life? as I can probably live with 4 miles less range, to save the $$$'s if they do live as long.

Regards

Paul


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Surely someone muct have experience of these batts?? Anyone??

If not, I'm going to go with the Trojans...


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## Carroll_1 (Dec 18, 2007)

Paul,

I have (18) Trojan T-875's in my 1997 S-10 conversion. ADC 9" motor, Curtis 1231C controller, 144v system. The truck weighs 4040 lbs.

I am very pleased with the Trojans. I'm just beginning to let them "stretch their legs" as I have about 15 charging cycles in them. So far, I'm seeing about 40 miles range at 65-70% DOD. Typically driving a combination of short trip (2-3 mi.) around town at 35 mph, and 50-55 mph highway driving on slightly rolling terrain. I expect a maximum 50 mile range at 55 mph and 80% DOD. I'm using a Zivan charger @ 110v input, which requires about 10 hrs charge time and 18-20 kwh.

The (18) trojans were consistent when I received them, with .1v or less variance among the group. I paid $105 US each plus shipping in Jan (midwest US), but battery prices are volatile and can change quickly.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with US Battery or other brands. Hope this info is useful.


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## JRP3 (Mar 7, 2008)

One thing to consider is the extra Ah's will allow you not only to go farther if you wish but will allow a shallower discharge if you don't and therefore may prolong the life of the pack. Don't know if it's worth the extra cash


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Carroll 1, Thanks for the feedback, T175's here are costing about $145 including delivery to me, so for UK prices, thats not too bad I suppose, it's nice to get your real world experience, I'm about to build a system almost exactly the same spec as yours, but in a 5 door hatchback, end weight will only be around 2800lbs, so hopefully I should get a safe 50 miles from it if you're getting 40 from your heavier truck. The trojan dealer here tells me if I can avoid going below 50% to 60% DOD all the time, they should last years and years, but taking them to 70% to 80% DOD all the time will finish them after about 2 years. Also had a look at your conversion pics, very neat truck.

JRP3, thanks for the input, I agree with your logic, but the price difference is huge for just 20Ah, the life expectancy will have to be very much longer to break even, there's also an 80lb extra weight penalty to factor in. I think ultimately I'll see how flush I'm feeling when I get to battery buying time 

Either way, I'm hoping to get 5 years out of the pack if possible, after which I'm hoping Lithiums will have dropped to half current price! Then I'll upgrade to get a range of 100 miles or more... (well we can all live in hope!)


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## adric22 (Jan 17, 2008)

favguy said:


> the extra $1.1K for only 13-20Ah extra!, ie. will the larger capacity units have a longer life? as I can probably live with 4 miles less range, to save the $$$'s if they do live as long.


I have Trojan T-875's in my car. I have 9 of them for 72 volts. I also looked at the more expensive version but I determined the same thing you did.. It would cost several hundred dollars more for the pack and it would only get me 3 or 4 extra miles. I didn't think it was worth it.


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## VDubber (Jun 2, 2008)

The 8VGC are kinda a staple in compact EV conversions. There are many listed in the EV album, with no complaints.

BTW, US Battery makes Interstate batteries:

http://www.interstatebatteries.com/content/product_info/golf_f.asp?js=1

And Electro Automotive does recommend US Battery:

http://www.electroauto.com/catalog/battery.shtml


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## VDubber (Jun 2, 2008)

OK, I found the link I was looking for:

http://www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com/8-volt-golf-cart-battery.html



> I called up the owner of Northwest Golf Car Services here in Seattle this morning to ask him a few questions about the different 8 volt golf cart batteries available for sale.
> 
> He says that, in his 18 years of experience in the business, he's found the Trojan 8 volt and the US Battery 8 volt batteries to last pretty much an identical length of time (cycle life) if you take care of them properly. He emphasized the point about taking care of them properly. This means keeping the water and the charge topped up! Remember, lead-acid is too stupid to have a memory, so you DON'T have to let them drain every once in a while, and it's not recommended.
> 
> The Trojans cost a lot because of their name, but USB's are just as good and cost a little less. He said that Trojan doesn't honor their warranty as religiously as US Battery, and this is a good enough reason to get the US Batteries instead. US Battery is great with their battery warranty.


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