Xuba Electronics: DEAL - 280AH LiFePo4 cells. Purchase & Review

[Ampster]

As far a I’m concerned we’re still way over paying for these batteries.

I am happy with the cells I got for less than $125 per kWhr. You can't get used Tesla modules for that and I have heard some industry pundits like Jack Rickard say that Tesla batteries are the best quality in the industry.

 

[Steve_S]

Just a quicky search.
Tesla Model S battery module, 24V, 250Ah, 5.3kWh 12kW, 444 Panasonic 18650
$1,750.00 CAD Sale price - $1307.00 USD or $ 246.60 USD
Then, of course, why is it for sale ? Reject, Repaired/Refurb, from a wreck, warranty returned ???

I don't think the battery cell prices are over the top, but the shipping, duties, etc I think everyone agrees is certainly not the best part of the deal. Global Trade can really suck sometimes !

 

[nosys70]

well, the problem is if you just pick it up from an US dealer, he paid the transport and taxes for you and will
just pass that to you final bill (plus his margin).
so yes a reality check when ordering directly is always good.
the real deal would be to order a full container and not give your money to DHL.
That is what most chinese group (like Banggood or Gearbest) do. They bulk send the top selling product to countries where distribution is cheap.
then they make more money for same product and you get also better prices.
It is particularly true for product containing lithium batteries that are unable to travel by air.
Actually purchasing bulk form Xuba is relatively not interesting since between 1 pack of 4 cells and 1000 packs of 4 cells, you spare only 6$.
but a container from china is probably only 5000$, so 1000x 200$ (shipping 1 pack to US) is 200.000$ that you do not give to a transporter.

 

[Ampster]

$1,750.00 CAD Sale price - $1307.00 USD or $ 246.60 USD
Then, of course, why is it for sale ? Reject, Repaired/Refurb, from a wreck, warranty returned ???

Good questions. They leave the factory in the cars as the reportedly the best, with a good monitoring and balancing electronics, but most of them come out of a wreck that was totaled and you never know how they were driven and charged. I also don't know what Tesla does with the packs that they take in return. Do those somehow make it into the grey market?

 

[HRTKD]

As far a I’m concerned we’re still way over paying for these batteries.

Compared to the equivalent Ah for Battle Born batteries, I'm saving a bundle. It's all in your perspective.

 

[Michael B Caro]

As far a I’m concerned we’re still way over paying for these batteries.

I do not think anyone one here is "way" overpaying....but there is a way to pay a little less.
Scroll down towards the end of the list of sections and read my post under "Group Buy Club" in the DIY Solar Marketplace section.

 

[Michael B Caro]

if you get any suggestion to get better price, we are listening.

The only way to get better prices is to buy a LOT of cells. To do that someone has to spend a LOT of money and then pass a good deal of that savings on to other people. Which is what I am trying to do.

 

[HRTKD]

Good questions. They leave the factory in the cars as the reportedly the best, with a good monitoring and balancing electronics, but most of them come out of a wreck that was totaled and you never know how they were driven and charged. I also don't know what Tesla does with the packs that they take in return. Do those somehow make it into the grey market?

I had a Leaf, not a Tesla. My Leaf was totaled last October. The batteries were fine, just too much body damage on a heavily depreciated car. The body shop I was working with said very few of the EV's they work on have battery damage unless it's a catastrophic accident. The battery compartments are very well protected. I would be more concerned with an owner abusing the battery from recharging practices than from an accident.

 

[Kingdaddy]

Totally agree on buying by the container. If even cutting my shipping fees in half it would get it down to $95/kwhr. That would be more in the ballpark for solar storage to really take off. I feel it can even be lower than that. But it’s just me speculating.

 

[nosys70]

buying by the container is not enough, you have to provide added value, like a box for the batteries (like a flightcase, suitable for shipment and storing battery) , cheap battery monitor integrated and eventally a small charger (like 5Amps) so people can keep battery charged even if their equipement is not ready.
Even bin sorting would be great if you get 4000 cells at hand.

Beginners guide to UN3480, UN3481 and IATA regulations

If you need to ship lithium batteries safely and legally but dont know where to start, this beginners guide to UN3480, UN3481 & IATA regulations will help.

www.gwp.co.uk

 

[Steve_S]

20' Sea Container = 33.2 CU M. / 1,173 cu ft.
net weight capacity = 28,500 kgs / 62,280 lbs.

Just a quick ponderance without serious math. IF a 280AH cell = 5kgs, then the weight capacity can take 5700 cells OR $ 473,043.00 (cell price at 82.99) + SHIPPING Duties & Taxes. Not likely that 5700 cells would fit in the 20' sea can with packing, boxing & palletizing. Imagine the possibilities!

If you were gonna drop that kinda coin, it would be straight from the manufacturer - no vendors, heck, you likely could get a terrific deal on BMS, & Casing and voila, be another Battleborn.... hahahaha.... well not really... but dreaming is ok.

 

[Michael B Caro]

20' Sea Container = 33.2 CU M. / 1,173 cu ft.
net weight capacity = 28,500 kgs / 62,280 lbs.

Just a quick ponderance without serious math. IF a 280AH cell = 5kgs, then the weight capacity can take 5700 cells OR $ 473,043.00 (cell price at 82.99) + SHIPPING Duties & Taxes. Not likely that 5700 cells would fit in the 20' sea can with packing, boxing & palletizing. Imagine the possibilities!

If you were gonna drop that kinda coin, it would be straight from the manufacturer - no vendors, heck, you likely could get a terrific deal on BMS, & Casing and voila, be another Battleborn.... hahahaha.... well not really... but dreaming is ok.

I think the other problem with doing it this way is that it would be very labor intensive, plus getting them and then re-shipping them adds a chunk to the cost for the end consumer.

 

[Kingdaddy]

I’m on that same page Steve.? I think the 82.99 could be even better, I’ve seen 71.00 on one of these forums but not sure of the quality, but straight from the manufacturer hmm,

 

[HRTKD]

Given the many different battery configurations that are being implemented here, most of us don't want the value add option of a case, BMS, charger, etc.

 

[Kingdaddy]

This isn’t a New Idea, but the mark up is rediculous, it makes it only affordable for a small niche group. Got to be a better way to do this cheaper and still make a buck, right now all these solar suppliers here are making bank on what they are selling and they have a strong foothold already, they need competition like I am describing to get the price down. I got a quote for my house for grid tied solar, 36,000, no money down $127 month for 25years. I priced it out and there was under 8k in equipment, that’s 28k for overhead. And I don’t own it, And I still pay a monthly bill. Sure is a lot of room there for improvement if you get my drift

 

[Sgt Raven]

well, the problem is if you just pick it up from an US dealer, he paid the transport and taxes for you and will
just pass that to you final bill (plus his margin).
so yes a reality check when ordering directly is always good.
the real deal would be to order a full container and not give your money to DHL.
That is what most chinese group (like Banggood or Gearbest) do. They bulk send the top selling product to countries where distribution is cheap.
then they make more money for same product and you get also better prices.
It is particularly true for product containing lithium batteries that are unable to travel by air.
Actually purchasing bulk form Xuba is relatively not interesting since between 1 pack of 4 cells and 1000 packs of 4 cells, you spare only 6$.
but a container from china is probably only 5000$, so 1000x 200$ (shipping 1 pack to US) is 200.000$ that you do not give to a transporter.

That is not exactly true. Or someone didn't tell Korean Air what was in the box that they flew into LAX.
Just because they have Lithium in them, isn't it. It is the type of chemical makeup.

 

[nosys70]

well , Korean Air, this explains that...

 

[Sgt Raven]

well , Korean Air, this explains that...

When you're sent a replacement phone or laptop next day, then it was probably sent air freight, too. When they sent me a new phone from Texas to California and I got it delivered the next day, it didn't ship by truck or rail freight. So the whole Lithium Battery thing is a "it depends" kinda thing.

 

[BiduleOhm]

They just require the Li batteries to be under a certain SoC when shipped by air (IIRC it's 30 %)

 

[HRTKD]

well , Korean Air, this explains that...

Beats the heck out of Garuda Indonesian Airlines. If it had been shipped with them, it would have arrived with goat crap on it. I flew Garuda once in the early 90's. It was bad.