An idea for a line of awesome LiPos.
 

Ill cut straight to the point. I think LiPos have the wrong capacities available. Thing is, too much capacity means you are weighing your trucks down unnecessarily. On the other hand, too low capacity and your run times suck or you don't finish the race. So, here is my proposal for the ideal set of LiPo offerings.

There will be just 5 capacities available in each voltage from 2S to 6S for surface vehicles. The first will be the "Slimline" series at 4800mAH. The next will be known as the "Average Joe" at 6000mAH. Finally, there will be the "Enduro" series at 7200mAH. Now these are all standard sizes, but I figured a fourth size should be included for monster builds requiring massive amperage delivery and endurance, such as 1/5 builds which would be 8400mAH. Lastly, a pair of racing pack capacities. These packs would be offered in a higher tier graphene, super-high discharge chemistry in 2S and 4S and be IFMAR/ROAR legal for racing with a capacity of 5500mAH for the 4S and 5200mAH for the 2S respectively.
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​​Just enough capacity to ensure the finish of a 15-min Main race with 10-20% capacity left over as a buffer, yet not a single unnecessary gram wasted. This is the plan for the race packs. Obviously shorty editions would be available where appropriate. It should also go without saying that these would NOT be LiHV packs. When you buy a LiHV pack you are just wasting money, especially in racing. LiHV voltages are not allowed by ROAR or IFMAR in any class, so what is the point? If you charge a 5600mAH LiHV to legal voltage, its only 5000mAH. This is a waste of weight, run time and money.

So what do you think? Am I close on my estimates for some good packs?

I personally think this concept is ridiculous. There are enough regulations as it is to now tell people "this is what battery you should run because we feel you're too incompetent to find the right pack for your setup" which is what this whole thing boils down to. This would also be a money grab to create packs that racers must buy to be in compliance. Bashers will be bashers and they will continue to do as they please and rightfully so. Ideas must start somewhere but unnecessary regulation isn't the way. Part of competition is letting people make choices within a class as to how they think they will be best served.

What are you talking about? I never said I would eliminate all competition on the market. There is already plenty of regulation in ROAR and IFMAR about what packs can be used.

I was just wondering if I would be successful if I started a company than manufactures LiPos, thats all.

How is this any different than what we have now? Every manufacturer has steps in capacity and cell quality. It is still up to the end user to select the battery they want. In my spec class cars I select the lightest and smallest battery possible because I understand there is no need to haul around extra battery weight. I am not the only person who understands this, so welcome to the party.

Graphene is what makes a cell capable of HV. You could have Graphene cells and not label the packs as HV, but less people would buy those as everyone already knows you can under charge an HV pack if necessary.

ROAR and IFMAR constitute a tiny percent of all races. In the last 5 years of weekly racing I've been to one race where they teched for battery voltage. Multiple tracks in multiple states and only one cared to tech for voltage (because it was a big race). Nobody cares if you run an HV battery because it takes an incredibly skilled person to take that small voltage difference and translate it to faster lap times. Guess what? The guy who wins is the best driver and a tiny difference in battery voltage is not the reason they won.

Don't take this the wrong way, but your finger is pretty far off the pulse of the industry. At how many different tracks have you raced?

Ive raced at 6 different tracks. I admit only 2 of them really followed ROAR but even if racing just for fun, then why have the unfair advantage of extra voltage. I agree with SMC Racing's stance on the matter of LiHV

I'm not here to bicker nor will I but you didn't ask whether you'd be successful in starting a lipo business (which, if done and marketed right, why not?) but rather you asked if batteries were created in line with your specific specs/way of thinking in mind, would racers essentially flock to it. You weren't specific as to if this would make for good business on your part. In any event, best of luck in your endeavors, who knows, maybe someone out there absoultely loves the idea. Have a great day!

I might be wrong. But from everything I’ve read. All the Lipo we use are produced in China.

I know one brand that went out of business in the past few years due to increased cost of importing them. And restrictions on shipping them to customers

More capacity may be more weight but sometimes needed to balans the car or keep the wheels down. Beside that, the more capacity the higher the voltage at the end.
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Again, yes LIHV may be less capacity when charged with LiPo voltage but the voltage drain in use is different than with a normal LiPo battery.
Also with the continious grow of capacity with every new product it is hard to make such an indication.

The only thing that can be better labled is the real C-value, no lies but true values.

I say let supply/demand dictate what is made available, no need to force the issue, technology will evolve, when I built my first kit, all that was available at the time was 600mAh NiCd, ha!

This I completely agree with as well. It is one thing that really needs to change. But I do like SMCs genius approach for now of labeling true amperage alongside the fake C rating to be competitive and yet honest too.

I can't comment for offroad, but in onroad cars are frequently underweight and people have to add weight, and even with super tiny shorty packs in modified I've never seen anyone dump mid race (except for people who forget to charge). People often buy batteries based off their weight, not based off the mAH rating.

In my spec classes I use the heaviest battery I can get away with, because adding lead weight is even less useful than battery weight. Also, it means higher average voltages throughout the run.

that is exactly how Im building a chassis going forward. I have one car that I have to put 50 grams of weight on just to be legal. Why not put it in the battery if its on that side of the car? I did on one and the voltage stays higher longer. As the battery ages and capacity goes down I still have way more capacity than I would if I would have added weight instead. over a years time my batteries go from 5700mah to 4800 mah. if the battery started at 7000 I still have way more than I need to run a 2200mah race and the voltage stays higher.

My 17.5 buggy is 1.3% over weight minimum and I have 120g of tungsten and brass on the center line between the motor and the transmission. You can't get the weight distribution I have any other way than running the lightest everything and consolidating that removed weight where it is as low and far back as possible. I promise my 2wd buggy with a laydown transmission hooks up better than any other car. I use around 1000mah for a 5 minute race and I run HV 4000mah batteries so I have plenty of voltage through the whole race. Typically my pack is at 8.0v resting after the race. That same car has an aluminum fan powered directly off battery voltage and associated circuitry to turn the fan on from my transmitter, in addition to a triple disk clutch and a carbon fiber radio tray. All of those things add functionality at a cost of adding weight in less than ideal places. My cars are a whole order of magnitude more complex than anything anyone else runs, so I will continue to do as I do, and have cars that nobody can compete with.

I wasn't aware you were the reigning world champion. There are some bold claims in that comment.

That aside, I did say I can't speak for off road, and I run the heaviest I can get away with. That doesn't mean the heaviest on the market. If your car genuinely does work better with the lighter pack and the weight moved elsewhere, that still fits under "what you can get away with".