Do not get 25Rs or HE2. Go with 30Q from nkon, they’re just as good as hg2s but way cheaper
30Q have an even lower discharge rating than the other cells which could be an issue with such a small pack. In saying that, I haven’t personally seen any data comparing their discharge curves to other cells.
They’re still more expensive than 25Rs by a reasonable amount as well. They certainly look like great cells for larger packs though.
Umm no… Don’t go with 30Q cells. Only 15 amp continuous and quite a bit more expensive then 25r. 25r is the best cell for the money 20 amp and cheapest compared to other similar cells. Lg hg2 are a bit more expensive but have 500 mAh more capacity. Lg hg2 cells the same price as 30Q so there is no point in getting 30Q.
ratings mean shit - look at actual discharge curves. 30Q can withstand far more than 15A and have less voltage sag. They might heat up more than the 25R but you are not going to use the full 15A per cell for extended periods of time.
See: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650comparator.php
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I went ahead and bought 20 LG HE2 18650s and will configure them in a 10S2P config
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@Okami, @radium Back me up here… I’m tired of repeating myself…
Do some research. If you just want to be spoon fed answers and follow what people say blindly, you’re going to end up with a mediocre board.
Both @michaelcpg and @jrpwit are wrong, no offense to you two. But it’s my daytime job to know battery technology like the back of my hand. I’ve posted in several threads why the 30Qs are much better than 25Rs, backed up with actual test data and not just numbers from a table I saw somewhere. Have you guys even looked at the actual data sheets??? Do you know where the 15A limit on the Samsung 30Q comes from? It’s got nothing to do with power and more to do with number of cycles you get out of the cell if you push 20+A CONTINUOUSLY through them. Samsung actually tests these up to 25A. Look up the spec sheet, inform yourselves…
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No need to get worked up about it man.
I specifically said in my previous comment that I hadn’t looked at any data comparing the discharge curves and was purely basing what I said off the manufacturer provided ratings which I know don’t give the full story.
If the 30Q’s are comparable to 25R’s then that’s awesome.
Cheers for the link 
Not comparable… Better, much better
I’ll back you up. The 25r is an ok battery, but it’s going to sag more than the 30q and have less capacity overall. If you look on ecig forum you can find information directly comparing the two at a 20A continuous discharge.
I have been looking at the VTC6 and thinking about buying 65 of them soon for a 10s6p pack. The extra 5 is in case there is a couple sub par batteries in the box.
Since you say it is your day job to know about batteries, are the VTC6 better then the 30Q’s? From what I read, VTC6 is the best li-ion 18650 at the moment.
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How are you going to find out which 5 are sub par?
No idea, but I do not have an ABN (Australian business number) so the company that is willing make the packs cannot purchase the batteries for me. Just wanted a few extra’s in case there is issues with one or two instead of being stuck at not being able to have the pack done.
Also if that is not necessary, then I will just use the five of them as spare rechargeable batteries for whatever!
Was going to wait till VESC 6 and JTAG’s BMS goes gold, but I’m already fed up with Evolve’s voltage sagging on hills and short range, so gonna bite the bullet and do my DIY by the end of the month, hence asking about VTC6.
I’m doing about the same thing. After doing way too much battery research I ended up going with the cheapest 20 amp battery I could get he2 and getting enough for a 10S8P
VTC6 is the best power cell out there. There’s about 5-10% improvement over 30Q. If you have an rc charger that can measure internal resistance then that would be the way to match them. You want the spread to be as little as possible and on the lower side. The low spread will determine how balanced your cells remain over their life, and the low ir will make them sag less.
If you want to spend less then buy 30Q from nkon. I bought 70 for $230 including shipping ($3.30 per cell). It’s significantly cheaper than VTC6 which cost $5-6 per cell (in the us at least).
I only use VTC6 when cost is a non issue and I want the absolute best power output. Otherwise I use 30Q for marginally worse power output but a lot less $$$. If you want a high range pack then Sanyo GA is the cell you want, again a little pricey $5-6 a cell but it has 16% more capacity than 30Q and VTC6 and has a power output that’s just as good as 25R cells. Which is about half as much as VTC6 and 30Q unless you let it sag significantly.
I currently have 2 battery packs, one out of 30Qs and one out of GA cells. My gf usually rides the GA pack as she wants long range and doesn’t really do high speeds or crazy hills on her way to school, while I like to ride the 30Q because of the sheer power it can output.
Thanks for your reply.
Pretty much what I thought, although it is the first that I have heard of Sanyo GA. ( Is that the Tesla battery? )
Sag is what I want to kill off. Range should be acceptable in six parallel.
80 cells? What board are you using? I’m thinking you are going AT, right?
@Gromok, Yep, it is the updated version of the Panasonic B cell which is the Tesla cell. @smurf, what was the purpose of your large pack? Sorry to be a party pooper but I’m afraid you could have gotten 66 30Q cells for the same range and more power output than HE2 cells.
Voltage sag for 30Q vs HE2. outputting 15A per cell, the 30Q sags as much as the HE2 outputting 7A past the 1Ah mark. Outputting 7A with the 30Q has slightly more voltage sag than the HE2 at 0.2A… A 10S8P HE2 would have a total of 720Wh, while a 11S6P would have 712Wh, when you adjust for sag, the HE2 has 641Wh when outputting 7A/cell and the 30Q has 617Wh at 15A/cell.
Also you can buy 30Qs for $2.75ea + shipping from Nkon
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@PXSS Are you in the US or Europe? I’m looking at ordering some 30Q from Nkon and wondering what the shipping time is like to the US. They say at least 2 weeks.
@TheImmortalJew I’m in the US. I gotta check my email for how long they took, but I want to say it was 2 weeks from ordering to my doorstep, maybe 3.
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