RedLine19K said:If the demand for these $1/Wh batteries was that strong, BuyA123 could split their own cases and offer singles at $80. Whether the sales agreement allows it, shipping is feasible and people would actually pay it is the unknown.
Here's the math on "splitting a case":
The AMP20 module has an energy capacity that REQUIRES dangerous goods shipping (either ground or air), and as such triggers dangerous goods fees and paperwork on all shipments. UPS has a flat $27.50 fee for dangerous goods shipments. Also required is UNDOT tested/approved packaging. Uline.com has a stock box that would work that is almost $8. This is before any shipping charges come into play. Assume a single cell shipped will be between $10-20. Let's add it up:
Cell cost: $70
UNDOT approved box: $8
UPS Dangerous Goods fee: $27.50
Shipping: $10 to $20
TOTAL: $115.50 to $125.50
The above doesn't take into account the extra time it takes to produce the DG paperwork that needs to go on every box.
I'm not sure how many cells I could reasonably fit in the stock battery shipper box after making sure everything is properly padded/insulated, but obviously spreading out the flat fees (DG/packaging) over more cells reduces the per cell cost of shipping.
However, I think you would be much better off working with the other form factors even if it means dealing with more physical cells. You don't need to worry about proper packaging and cell compression, and the smaller cells would allow you to do some more creative configurations that would not be possible with the AMP20.
If you want to experiment, I still have a bunch of the older ANR26650M1A B-Grade cells with the PET (plastic) wrapper and have recently been told that A123 has a bunch (over 10k) of them with paper wrapper that would be slightly less expensive than the PET wrapped cells.
I like what the community is doing and want to help you out, but my options on the AMP20 are very limited.
If you want to experiment with the older ANR26650M1A cells, I'll do free shipping on them until the end of the month if you use this coupon code:
ESFREESHIP
--Erik @ EVDM (buyA123batteries.com)