NiMh is short for nickle metal hydride while LiPo is short hand for lithium polymer. Both of these types of batteries are currently being used in the galvanic model Rc car scene. Most ready to run Rc model cars will comprise some form of battery -to keep costs down, they are regularly the NiMh variety. LiPo battery packs certainly came on to the Rc model scene powering model airplanes and helicopters-taking benefit of their light weight and first-rate power density.
Rc Car Battery Packs - NiMh Vs LiPo
Thanks to a robust and extremely competitive Rc Car racing environment, LiPo battery packs are assuredly the newer and beloved power source for todays' power and speed hungry Rc car customer base. LiPo batteries are now even taking over the tasteless buyer products-powering most higher end cordless power tools, as well as a near 100% of the laptops and cell phones currently produced! So what exactly is it that makes LiPo batteries so popular with the Rc car crowd? Well, with a amount of Chinese manufacturers fighting for market share, prices have become so cheap and availability so high via the world wide web. Of course, also a lower price structure from just a few years ago, the performance and capabilities of the battery packs have improved as well. There are more sizes to choose from, and now there are Rc Car specific packs rather than those originally sized for model airplanes. The chargers for LiPo battery packs have also become less expensive and generally easier to use; probably one of the more likely reasons for citizen venturing to the LiPo side with a now lower investment. The lithium polymer chemistry of the LiPo battery pack is also inviting. With a higher power density-lower weight with same or higher voltage and current production than NimH, the speediest of all Rc cars will be running some form of LiPo power pack. Current world record speed holders are now powered by LiPo batteries rather than banks of Nimh cells!
So is NimH dead? Well that ask can be answered as No. Are they the most great battery pack for a Rc model car....that write back is also no. What matters is what the application requires. Low cost is still a factor in favor of NimH despite cheap lipos littering the market. Nimh uses technology that is now 20 years old. With that in mind, uncomplicated chargers are very easy on the budget, and most NimH factories furnish excellent battery packs with experienced processes and potential control. Protection is still on the side of the NimH battery. There is still less of a opening of fire/explosion caused by over charging with a Nimh vs. LiPo battery. Endurance is still on the side of NiMh battery packs as they can be run down to near zero volts whereas that would ruin a LiPo battery. A fourth, roughly contrarian view, is that NimH batteries weigh more and put out lower voltage....an actual plus for controlled club racing and beginners. A "loose" off road track may be better traveled with a Nimh battery gift more traction and less power to break the tires' grip. A good Nimh battery can still offer the same amount of charge-discharge cycles as a Lipo battery-and without special balance chargers that Lipos require. For someone who may have reentered the hobby but still has equipment-they may choose to still use NiMh batteries.
All in all, it certainly depends on ones funds and application. Many hobbyists have both NimH and LiPo battery packs. Some will bash with either battery -do speed runs with lipos-or anything they choose. With Lipo battery packs becoming cheaper, especially as new hobbyists and lipo cordial tool enters the market, we can guess that Nimh will become less of a choice for the consumer.
Nimh and LiPo battery packs wish distinct care in use, storage, and charging. We will cover this in an upcoming article.
Rc Car Battery Packs - NiMh Vs LiPo
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