Large LiOn from AliExpress?

georgemiller

10 µW
Joined
Jan 8, 2018
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5
Dear Forum,

I am working on a small startup company that uses 40AH-50AH 12V LiON batteries. So far I've been using examples like this one: https://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/products/product/12v-40ah-lithium-ion-battery.php

It's almost $600, which is a similar price to most of the options I've found from US stores for such a large battery. However, I'm hoping to find a decent quality battery with the same specs for much less.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience purchasing similar batteries from AliExpress? A quick search reveals many alternatives which are much cheaper (such as here or here) but I am not sure how reliable these companies are. In the forum FAQ/Guideline, I read that UnitPackPower and OSNPower are both recommended Chinese sellers, but I could not find the correct product I am looking for from them on AliExpress.

Any recommendations on reliable stores or cheaper battery alternatives are very much appreciated! It doesn't matter if the batteries have a BMS built in or not, I have programmable external BMS's that can replace them.

Gratefully,
George
 
I recommend OSN power. Many others are dodgy, but these guys have high quality products, good service and nearly the cheapest prices.

If you can't find what you need ask them, and see if they do assembly.
 
And remember that no matter where it comes from, if a deal seems too cheap for what it is, it probably isn't actually what it says it is.

(lots of fake cells, crappy cells, recycled used garbage cells, etc are out there--all of which might work well enough for you but might not last very long, or might not do what you need at all, or could even be a fire risk)
 
I got a great price on my battery. It was too good a price.

P2110059.JPG
 
Note, the battery in the link is not Li-ion, it is LiFePO4. It most likely has a BMS built in.

That price does seem a bit steep for what it is. A lot of the expense comes from the housing. In that size range, you might consider finding some Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt batteries. These are good quality and way less expensive.
 
Thank you all for your great input and cautions! I have reached out to OSN and they said they would get back to me tomorrow.

@Fetcher- you mentioned the 'housing' of the battery. I notice that almost all American suppliers use housings on their batteries, while almost all Chinese suppliers, including OSN, supply their batteries without housing. Is there any meaningful difference between batteries that are housed, or batteries just wrapped in plastic? Perhaps it changes the safety, or operating temperature of the batteries?

Best,
George
 
georgemiller said:
Thank you all for your great input and cautions! I have reached out to OSN and they said they would get back to me tomorrow.

@Fetcher- you mentioned the 'housing' of the battery. I notice that almost all American suppliers use housings on their batteries, while almost all Chinese suppliers, including OSN, supply their batteries without housing. Is there any meaningful difference between batteries that are housed, or batteries just wrapped in plastic? Perhaps it changes the safety, or operating temperature of the batteries?

Best,
George

The heavy duty plastic housing reduces the chances of damaging the cells. The duct tape/heat shrink packs probably use the same cells but are easy to damage if not housed properly.
 
georgemiller said:
I am working on a small startup company that uses 40AH-50AH 12V LiON batteries.
...
Any recommendations on reliable stores or cheaper battery alternatives are very much appreciated! It doesn't matter if the batteries have a BMS built in or not, I have programmable external BMS's that can replace them.
I would strongly recommend you contact Paul at EM3EV and see what they can offer you. This is way above the typical AliExpress stuff.

EM3EV batteries have holders, individually fused cells, and fused balance leads to the BMS. They manufacture the cell holders, custom die-cut the bus bars, and assemble the packs in-house. They use very good quality BMSes with extremely low quiescent current draw, but if you don't need the BMS, I'm sure they can supply packs with just the balance leads. I don't believe they have 12V configurations on the shelf, but they can manufacture custom battery configurations so I'm pretty sure you can get the voltage and capacity you need.

Anyhow, Paul is a well-respected ES member from way back...

[youtube]oNfTEHBz_bg[/youtube]
 
teklektik said:
georgemiller said:
I am working on a small startup company that uses 40AH-50AH 12V LiON batteries.
...
Any recommendations on reliable stores or cheaper battery alternatives are very much appreciated! It doesn't matter if the batteries have a BMS built in or not, I have programmable external BMS's that can replace them.
I would strongly recommend you contact Paul at EM3EV and see what they can offer you. This is way above the typical AliExpress stuff.

EM3EV batteries have holders, individually fused cells, and fused balance leads to the BMS. They manufacture the cell holders, custom die-cut the bus bars, and assemble the packs in-house. They use very good quality BMSes with extremely low quiescent current draw, but if you don't need the BMS, I'm sure they can supply packs with just the balance leads. I don't believe they have 12V configurations on the shelf, but they can manufacture custom battery configurations so I'm pretty sure you can get the voltage and capacity you need.

Anyhow, Paul is a well-respected ES member from way back...

[youtube]oNfTEHBz_bg[/youtube]

Thanks, @teklektik. Just messaged them. We'll see how they respond.
 
Quick update if there are any watchers of this post, or if anyone in the future is looking for answers to a similar question. I have received two quotes, one from the US 'SmartBattery' and one from China 'OSN Power'.

Smart Battery Product: https://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/products/product/12v-40ah-lithium-ion-battery.php
OSN Power Product: https://osn.en.alibaba.com/product/60187721713-803362919/4S14P_14_4V_40ah_lithium_battery_pack_made_of_Brand_18650_2900mah_cells.html

Both are for 12V 40Ah LiFePO4. Both are quoting around the same $400 figure when ordering 10 units or more. I'm still waiting on a few other quotes, but I am tentatively happy with either for my application as they both appear to be reputable firms, and I reckon $400 is about how much I should expect to pay for these.

Thanks for all the help so far. This is a great forum!
George
 
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