Re: [electricboats] importing batteries wholesale

I am certainly willing to believe many (or most) ad's are in the too-good-to-be-true category.   Are you saying there is more to the cost of these deals on sites like Aliexpress than what they say in the ads?  This one for example says you get (4) of the 280AH 3.2V cells for US $455 including shipping to the USA. 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001935502441.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.2b087783z3GXDl&algo_pvid=3176c47e-b21f-4206-873d-aad1d01be060&algo_expid=3176c47e-b21f-4206-873d-aad1d01be060-4&btsid=0b0a555d16139597086837099ed79a&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

There are ads that claim to be from US warehouses too.  Any knowledge about that out there? 

 

There are many examples on Youtube of people getting these batteries and testing them.  Will Prowse has one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U4ZfQ_IToI
He did not mention importation difficulties.  

There are several others - search for 280AH 3.2v
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=280AH+3.2v+


I am ready for my reality check....

Thanks, Dan Pfeiffer

On 2021-02-21 2:00 pm, Ryan Sweet wrote:

But to more precisely answer the question, it's about 50% cheaper, and much more so depending on which domestic option you choose. 

 

For example: 

Here is a relatively new offering on Amazon, which is really not a domestic option but another one of the CN companies establishing a storefront here, so they take on all the hassle - it's the cheapest I can find that will deliver to your door:

 

48v 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery Deep Cycle Lithium iron phosphate Rechargeable Battery Built-in BMS Protect Charging and Discharging High Performance for Golf Cart EV RV Solar Energy Storage Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G7YMWND/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_AZCEDCA40SF3FMRQT42E

$1929. 

 

For a 600ah bank, that would be $12k. Pricing a similar size from Alibaba and including customs and shipping, renting a truck, and driving around the warehouse district, it was 45% of that. 

 

Not exactly apples to apples, but hopefully illustrative.  Now compare to battleborn, and it's 1/4th the cost.  On the other side of that battleborn have a fantastic reputation, years of proven performance, and rock solid guarantees.  There's a reason the price points are where they are. 

 

An interesting domestic option maybe the Dakota Lithium batteries, mined and manufactured in the US, and seem to be reasonably priced ($899 for 12v100ah - 600ah would be almost $22k).  Still more than 4x the price of my 600ah bank, but if you want a domestic source and the confidence to be able to return it, that looks like a good option. They have a 48v charger that I'll be looking at for future applications - my noco genius charger is great but was expensive and produces an unpleasant whine when charging. 

On Feb 21, 2021, at 09:50, Ryan Sweet via groups.io <ryan=ryansweet.org@groups.io> wrote:

Good points! 

Yes, as per my original post, it's a risk and especially if there is some kind of problem. I relied on colleagues in China to do some research for me but nothing exhaustive.  In the end I decided that saving 50% (and this having 50% more range for my budget) was worth it in my particular case. 

 

I would not advise that course for everyone - especially if your budget is right or you can't accept the possibility of it not going well. 

 

I am probably going to import 20 or so more units than I need this time, and check them all out, and then sell them on (mostly to people doing home solar) with a markup for my trouble. It's a little bit of a capital risk, and quite a lot of hassle, but I'm hoping to come out slightly better than even to help fund more projects. 

On Feb 21, 2021, at 02:58, Carsten via groups.io <Carstensemail=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

 

Just a question, what is the price difference for local purchased battery banks and imported ?

There are all the troubles importing the bank, and the risk that the bank will not work as intended.

 

Bank with BMS - from China ?!! (I better buy locally (approved) BMS, and the batteries without BMS when imported)

Warranty ? Impossible to claim anything !

When you buy chinese : When the goods are sold, it is yours solely. No longer their responsibility.

They can smile and give a "good face" and answer your claims politely for months, but it is of no help to you.

There are videos on YT that shows a new set, which had run-down cells. What would YOU do ?

 

Do as the chinese do :

Send out a qualified person you trust to check YOUR batch at the factory (they should test each cell), and mark everything well before shipping. Each BMS should be witness tested as well.

(You can check how chinese parents buy foreign baby milk powder online - that may give you a clou how much they trust their own suppliers.)

 

This will cost you a bit, but it may be worth it.

If your electric boat suddenly stops working on your trip to Bahamas, then ??

 

Having spend half the time in China since 2002, including engineering supervision, I know something...

 

Maybe bargaining at a local supplier will be a "win-win".

 

Be safe,

Carsten