What price is fair for used cells?

[Sanguine]

$75-80 for decent grade B is fair I would say.

That’s not far off his current asking price, so perhaps there’s a deal to be done. He’s offering a ”packet price“ of $1,450 (in local currency) for 16 cells plus a 24S 200A JK BMS which I don’t need. So it depends how much value ascribe to the BMS, ie. what I might be able to sell it for second hand. I’m assuming maybe $120, hence $83 per cell asking price.

I’m going to see him this afternoon, so will see what I can discover about the history of these cells.

 

[LydMekk]

The BMS is selling for 160 Euro + shipping etc.

 

[Sanguine]

The BMS is selling for 160 Euro + shipping etc.

Thanks for the info ? I’m guessing a BMS should have a more solid residual than a battery cell does, as they’re not exactly subject to degradation in the same way.

 

[Sanguine]

Update, I visited the guy yesterday and he seems very genuine and open. He told me things he didn’t have to about the history of the cells, so I trust his info. His reason for selling is certainly verified, as the huge Skoda EV pack was laying on the floor of his workshop and another BMW one was in another corner.

They‘re Nov/Dec 2019 production batch according to the QR codes. Older than I would have liked, but he doesn’t seem the type who may have damaged the cells thru lack of knowledge of how to use them. No compression mount in use, which is a shame, but the cells didn’t look swollen at all.

Anyhow, I made him an offer on 8 cells, which I think he’s tempted to accept, just that he really wants to sell all 16 as a pack and not be left with 8 to sell. So we left it that he will wait a while to see if anyone else is interested and my offer stays on the table. I’m fine with that, he’s close to me so easy to pop back there and it’s not like I really need those cells.

I might think about offering him a lower per cell price for me to take all 16, then I have to somehow sell the excess 8. I don’t want to do that, but it might get the deal closed. Have to think about that one for a while, as the price trend on new cells is downwards atm and I don’t want to be left holding 4 year old cells no one wants to buy ?

 

[Sanguine]

Well i made him and offer, but it didn’t even get considered because he messaged back directly saying he’d just taken a deposit from a guy who was on his way to collect them. I’m happy for him, it’s the best outcome and it’s only my dithering and indecision which cost me, but that‘s ok. The way LiFePO4 prices seem to be heading, I reckon it’ll just be a few more years when brand new cells are available for what I was offering, and by then maybe I’ll definitely need them.

 

[LydMekk]

Not really. The cell prices has gone up steadily the last 3 years...so seeing a halving is unrealistic IMO.

 

[Sanguine]

Not really. The cell prices has gone up steadily the last 3 years...so seeing a halving is unrealistic IMO.

You have a different view of the market than me. For sure prices rose after the pandemic dip of 2020 / early 2021, but that was a blip in the trend due to the suppressed demand at that time. The long term trend is falling prices, it has to be if EVs will take over in the way th chart below predicts.

I‘ve been seeing new 280Ah cells offered at $100-$105 this year, which means we are almost back down to 2020 levels without the exceptional circumstances that caused the price drop back then. That‘s why I’m expecting in a few years the current prices will look overblown by comparison.

But predicting the future is not an easy thing to do, so maybe I’m way off!

 

[LydMekk]

I just checked the whole market in the last 2 months and bought 32 cells EVE 280Ks.
The cheapest I could get cells was 133 Euros per.
Checked EU, USA and China.
I still maintain this is the market price atm. and its high.

Wishing for lower prices will get you nothing, looking back at the last 3 years where the prices has risen ^^

 

[houseofancients]

I just checked the whole market in the last 2 months and bought 32 cells EVE 280Ks.
The cheapest I could get cells was 133 Euros per.
Checked EU, USA and China.
I still maintain this is the market price atm. and its high.

Wishing for lower prices will get you nothing, looking back at the last 3 years where the prices has risen ^^

i just ordered 16 lf304 for 2010 usd, that is including ddp shipping to the EU

Still not sure why everyone seems so hung up on these lf280 cells

 

[Enduro]

i just ordered 16 lf304 for 2010 usd, that is including ddp shipping to the EU

Still not sure why everyone seems so hung up on these lf280 cells

For what it's worth I kept an eye on a on line 'lopis' and bought 4 Lishen 200Ah cells for €25,- a piece.
Previous owner did a bad or no top balance job I guess.
They are behaving nice.

 

[SeaGal]

... it has to be if EVs will take over in the way th chart below predicts.

LOL... don't believe everything you read in the Daily Mail !! It's 2023 now, last time I checked, and I don't see any new EV Golfs for sale at €24,000 or indeed any (whatever that is in blue - a Corsa maybe?) for €17,000. Not in the UKk... Maybe in Sweden they are cheaper

 

[Sanguine]

LOL... don't believe everything you read in the Daily Mail !! It's 2023 now, last time I checked, and I don't see any new EV Golfs for sale at €24,000 or indeed any (whatever that is in blue - a Corsa maybe?) for €17,000. Not in the UKk... Maybe in Sweden they are cheaper

If the daily mail reported that the sun was likely to rise the next day I would as a matter of principle not believe them, so I share your view of their “journalism“, however in this case they are simply reporting a Bloomberg research report from 2021, which predicts a price trend for lithium batteries summarised in below screenshot.

I would expect that like all attempts to predict the future, it will have limitations, but see no reason to assume the underlying factors they’re basing their report on won’t eventually take effect.

 

[Sanguine]

I didn’t get them in the end. By the time I’d gone back to him with an offer on all 16, he’d just taken a deposit from someone who was coming later that day to pick them up. That’s fine with me actually, I hope they went to someone who will make good use of them as I was likely going to have to sell on 8 of them if I’d bought them.

 

[Browneye]

Maybe fifty percent.
I would rather buy new ones for my own project.
I think you dodged a bullet.

 

[AntronX]

From here: https://about.bnef.com/blog/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-rise-for-first-time-to-an-average-of-151-kwh/

2023 forecast $152/kWh pack, $124/kWh cell: https://about.bnef.com/blog/top-10-energy-storage-trends-in-2023/

 

[Sanguine]

Maybe fifty percent.
I would rather buy new ones for my own project.
I think you dodged a bullet.

Thanks! I’ll never know if those cells were a great bargain or a previously abused set which would have failed early, but they’re gone now so I’m not dwelling on it.

 

[Sanguine]

View attachment 152073

From here: https://about.bnef.com/blog/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-rise-for-first-time-to-an-average-of-151-kwh/

2023 forecast $152/kWh pack, $124/kWh cell: https://about.bnef.com/blog/top-10-energy-storage-trends-in-2023/

Interesting info. A lot of the factors they’re identifying for the pause in dropping prices seem like they should be temporary effects.

If it’s the case that adoption of EVs may have been delayed a couple of years at least it gives a bit more time for the charging network to get built.

 

[paso]

Price predictions are hard since new technologies might be flooding the market end or start of next year. If the new production runs are good and people are happy with them than Lithium might see even more of a drop. Looking at Sodium-ion batteries to be promising. But new batteries are promised every few months with delays. If the price drop continues another 30-40% might pickup LiFePO4 for my uncles setup.

OP is old post by now so probably sold/bought. But of course check the vents on top, no leaks and no bloating. People make rookie mistakes all the time, charging in neg temp etc. So always a risk from private seller since little recourse if they are bad. $70 seems okay for current market, I'd offer $50 per cell. I seen another post in EU, couple year old batteries, pics were bad quality but looked like all the vents were blasted/discoloured.