Battleborn Battery Safety Issue

[zulutron]

As documented by Will Prowse.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Wow. The most expensive battery on the market and something like this comes up.

Comments below the video says the problem has been documented since 2019. Basically they bolt the positive terminal to a buss bar using a single steel bolt and between the terminal and buss bar is a plastic spacer. If the terminal gets warm the plastic melts, you have an instant loose connection and everything gets hot. Unbelievable.

 

[bigbAZ]

Big discussion on it over at the Sprinter-Source Dangerous Battleborn 12V Battery: Major Safety Issue

 

[IBTripping]

Battleborn lithium batteries are obscenely expensive. The flaw Will Prowse demonstrated is dangerous and will be very expensive for Battleborn to correct. Think I'll stick with my lower cost Chinese batteries.

 

[cliffy49]

Battleborns response.

 

[TonyL]

Why would you not directly connect the terminal post to the busbar?
More metal surface area equals less resistance. A singular bolt with an insulated spacer that is not heat resistant is nuts (pun intended)

 

[John From Detroit]

WOW is all I can say.. And Battle Born is supposed to be a "Top Tier" Brand too.

 

[klook]

Well, now someone has to cut up the other brands to see what they do.....

 

[IBTripping]

Well, now someone has to cut up the other brands to see what they do.....

Actually, Will Prowse, has tested and cut open a bunch of different brands of lithium batteries.

 

[klook]

Presumably not because they were hot? Or were there other problems? I should look up his stuff I guess.

 

[Isaac-1]

I can see why Battle Born responded the way they did, as to admit fault here on such a long running design would likely bankrupt the company, so their only real choice is to call it a feature not a bug.

 

[triplethreat]

That makes me very happy that I built my LFP battery from the ground up with parts I bought, built, tested, and installed. It's been fine since 2022.

 

[DonTom]

The most expensive battery on the market

I always wondered what justified the expense of the BB batteries.

They are located right across the street from the Tamarack Casino in Reno, where I often get a free charge for one of my motorcycles. But I never walked across the street to check them out. Sometimes I am waiting for other riders there, or I am having lunch in the casino restaurant on the way back from wherever.

I am happy with my 300AH Chinese batteries. I have wondered how BB batteries got their good reputation, but it looks like that was just ruined big time.

FWIW, IMO, no reply would have been a lot better than their BS reply that made no sense and made them look even worse.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

That makes me very happy that I built my LFP battery from the ground up with parts I bought, built, tested, and installed. It's been fine since 2022.

Are you going to now try to convert your motorcycle to electric?Do the Battery and all? Several have done such successfully.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Isaac-1]

Don, I can see the appeal of BattleBorn batteries for RV manufacturers vs the Chinese imports, primarily the fact that they published detailed specs, use fairly rugged case design, and promised continued availability of a given form factor. While the Chinese imports seem to change up their specs at whim, often with no notice, use whatever cells and BMS they got a good deal on this month, as has been shown over and over when people dissect their batteries.

 

[triplethreat]

Are you going to now try to convert your motorcycle to electric?Do the Battery and all? Several have done such successfully.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Simply put......Not a chance in ****! I love my new bike just the way it is. I like LOVE the sound of it, the very low weight of a 130 HP machine (just over 400 lbs), the flickability/handling in all the twisty stuff, and in general...the way it looks. It's like having a street legal dedicated track bike....it's almost telepathic in the corners.

 

[whiteva]

Interstate wet cell batteries in all my vehicles, tractor, mower, aircraft etc. as they age to 7 years simply replace. Haven,t had any problems in many many years.

 

[DonTom]

While the Chinese imports seem to change up their specs at whim

IOW, the BattleBorn problems are more consistent than with the Chinese-made batteries.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[bigbAZ]

Will Prowse has now joined the discussion at Sprinter-Source starting on page 4 & 5: Dangerous Battleborn 12V Battery: Major Safety Issue

 

[DonTom]

Another Battleborn issue (why am I not surprised by any of this?)