Update 2011-03-12
I am still planning to use Thundersky 160AH batteries. I originally ordered from EV Components and there was a big fiasco there with the owner running off with all the stuff along with customer's prepaid orders. There is ongoing litigation and I can't comment further right now.
However, ... I am still going to use these batteries. When and where I get them depends on the outcome of the litigation. But I did order 4 cells from Elite Power Solutions so that I would have some cells to work with, both for electrical work and mechanical work (building battery racks). I received these cells right away.
Originally I decided I wanted 40 cells but now I think I am going to use 44. There is plenty of room in the truck and this will give me a little more range and power.
Update
Decided on the Thundersky 160AH batteries. Ordered from EV Components.
(Original Post)
Here is a site with some info about LiFePO4 battery pack management:
http://funwithlithium.blogspot.com/2009/08/lifepo4-battery-pack-management-part-4.html
At the time of this writing, we are 98% confident that we will be using Lithium Iron Phostphate (LiFePO4) batteries for this project. Therefore I did not spend much time researching other battery types, other than to read enough to convince myself that this is the correct choice.
Lead acid batteries will save some money, but are about twice the weight for the equivalent capacity. And the LiFePO4 batteries are supposed to last quite a bit longer than the lead acid, so if that is true then they are actually less expensive. Real data on whether the LiFePO4 batteries really last longer seems hard to come by.
Anyway, the most likely batteries we will use are from Thunder Sky. Another potential manufacturer is Sky Energy, although these batteries look suspiciously similar to the Thunder Sky, so I don't know if they are really any different. One difference is that Sky Energy has a 120 Ah pack which is a nice choice between the 90 and 160 Ah that seem to be available from Thunder Sky.
Here is are some other sites that seem to have LiFePO4 battery packs, although I am not sure these are applicable to my car project:
2 Comments
Chris Darilek
2013/02/12 at 10:36
I’m almost to ordering batteries for my conversion. You say you finally went thru http://elitepowersolutions.com/ to get your cells? I don’t see Thunderskys on the webpage, can you help? Link? What size cells did you go with?
Cheers, Chris
joe
2013/02/13 at 08:18
It seems that the China battery supplier industry is in constant flux. Thundersky has become, through a complicated explanation that I dont understand, either one or both of Winston battery and Sinoply. It has been over a year since I looked at the battery situation so I am not really familiar with who is offering what now. You are correct about Elite Power, it seems they are no longer selling the larger LiFePO batteries. One vendor that I would completely trust is Evolve Electrics (http://www.evolveelectrics.com/). They are offering Sinoply cells although it looks like the price has gone up quite a bit over the last couple of years. But I know that Evolve will deliver. I did not buy batteries from them but I did buy some other things and they also were extremely helpful when I needed a charger repair. My advice, based on my bad experience with "bulk order from China" deals, is to only buy from stock in the USA (assuming you are in USA) and stay away from bulk order, especially if you have to pay in advance. For more advice you should browse through the DIY Electric Car Forums (http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/) or contact your local EV group (mine is Austin EV (http://austinev.org/). My cells are 160Ah. I have been very pleased with my batteries. There is no question it was worth the extra money over lead acid.
BTW, stay far away from "Current EV Tech" and any business associated with the names James Morrison or David Kois.