08-07-2021, 06:21 PM
Earlier in the spring when LifeBlue batteries dropped their prices I was told BattleBorn would be following suit to combat the low cost competition. LifeBlue went to $750 per 100 AH. They have a built in bluetooth amp counter that makes all the difference in the world as far as I and my customers feel.
Recently I have seen 200 Ah of lithium for $700 on Amazon. Some of the lower cost Lithium batteries are fairing pretty well when taken apart and analyzed. The people tearing them down are kind of at a loss as to how the cheaper batteries can have any quality when the bigger brands have been so much more expensive. The answer isn't that the bigger brands are that much better but rather that they have been gouging the hell out of us for as long as they could until the competition caught up.
The same thing happened with MPPT. When I started you needed more than $300 to run 20 amps worth of solar panels. Now a top brand 20 amp MPPT controller is half that. Competition is good.
What makes a lithium battery better? First I will say that it is not how much advertising, sponsored events or batteries given away to youtubers so that videos are made because a Chinese company invested 7 million dollars making it possible. Exposure is just that, exposure.
What can make a difference is the quality of the cells. Some of the low cost batteries have grade B cells but even then it may never be noticed by the end user.
The size of the wiring can cost less but again it may only make a difference if you are pushing the battery to the limits all of the time.
The reliability and features of the BMS can be a factor. Some of the lower cost units have no low temp cutoff meaning you need a controller that will do it for you.
Some of the batteries that say that they are 100 amp hours are actually more like 120 amp hours but you will never see the additional capacity. That allows you to get 100 amp hours out of the battery without actually draining it all the way down which is really damaging even done once.
I learned a lot when I was considering selling batteries directly from a manufacture. I was able to specify every level of quality in each area of the battery. Want a buffer in capacity, cha ching. Want heavy wiring, pay for it. Want higher charge and discharge rates, dig deeper. Want more features like bluetooth and heat pads, grab your wallet. Every time something was upgraded it cost a little more. Still I was able to come up with a 100 Ah battery for less than $400 with every bell and whistle the top brands offered. I almost bought a pallet until the Ever Given incident drove shipping cost sky high. Seeing what is happening to the prices makes me glad I didn't.
Last thing is that assembling components made in China in the USA to avoid tariffs is not American made. Don't buy the hype.
Recently I have seen 200 Ah of lithium for $700 on Amazon. Some of the lower cost Lithium batteries are fairing pretty well when taken apart and analyzed. The people tearing them down are kind of at a loss as to how the cheaper batteries can have any quality when the bigger brands have been so much more expensive. The answer isn't that the bigger brands are that much better but rather that they have been gouging the hell out of us for as long as they could until the competition caught up.
The same thing happened with MPPT. When I started you needed more than $300 to run 20 amps worth of solar panels. Now a top brand 20 amp MPPT controller is half that. Competition is good.
What makes a lithium battery better? First I will say that it is not how much advertising, sponsored events or batteries given away to youtubers so that videos are made because a Chinese company invested 7 million dollars making it possible. Exposure is just that, exposure.
What can make a difference is the quality of the cells. Some of the low cost batteries have grade B cells but even then it may never be noticed by the end user.
The size of the wiring can cost less but again it may only make a difference if you are pushing the battery to the limits all of the time.
The reliability and features of the BMS can be a factor. Some of the lower cost units have no low temp cutoff meaning you need a controller that will do it for you.
Some of the batteries that say that they are 100 amp hours are actually more like 120 amp hours but you will never see the additional capacity. That allows you to get 100 amp hours out of the battery without actually draining it all the way down which is really damaging even done once.
I learned a lot when I was considering selling batteries directly from a manufacture. I was able to specify every level of quality in each area of the battery. Want a buffer in capacity, cha ching. Want heavy wiring, pay for it. Want higher charge and discharge rates, dig deeper. Want more features like bluetooth and heat pads, grab your wallet. Every time something was upgraded it cost a little more. Still I was able to come up with a 100 Ah battery for less than $400 with every bell and whistle the top brands offered. I almost bought a pallet until the Ever Given incident drove shipping cost sky high. Seeing what is happening to the prices makes me glad I didn't.
Last thing is that assembling components made in China in the USA to avoid tariffs is not American made. Don't buy the hype.
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