Li-Ion Batteries
#1
Li-Ion Batteries
These have been around other industries for a few years and seem to be lighter and have more capacity/power than NiMh. Anyone know why they aren't made/used for RC?
#2
Super Moderator
iTrader: (2)
My guess is internal resistance. They may not yet be able to churn out the amounts of current that our stock & modified motors demand without melting down. Keep in mind, Nickle-Metal Hydrides have actually existed for well over a decade, but it took until only 3-4 years ago to finally produce a cell that could(sort of) withstand the rigors of R/C use, & they're only recently starting to surpass the voltage & internal resistance of their NiCd counterparts, so I think it'll still be some time before Lithium-Ion cells become practical for heavy R/C use(though they do seem ok in micro cars, like the HPI RS4 Micro, but those cars don't put near the same load on a battery as the bigger cars do)....
#3
Tech Adept
From my understanding Li-Ion batteries can not take the amp draw that the motors we use for racing. In mod it is not uncommon to get amp spikes over 85 amps. That would just kill a Li-Ion battery. This was the problem with NIMH's early on but we use them now. I don't think that it would be any more than 3-4 years before Li-Ion takes it's place.
#4
but by the time Li-ion gets to RC i will want Li-Polymer (whole chassis could be a battery as I understand it)