Uno Batteries

[Jcasperson]

So after scouring the internet for information I was actually able to get in contact with someone from UNO. This guy said he was one of the designers/builders of this battery.

I was able to find out a little bit more about them and the battery.
So my biggest worry was that they were new and I had never heard of them and their claims seemed out of the ordinary.

So Uno Batteries is basically a offshoot company from the same guy who runs Titan Batteries who build lithium batteries for drones and airsoft guns, Uno is new but titan has been around for 8 years.

The reason why their weight and specs are different is because it uses Lithium Ion instead of Lithium iron phosphate (used by relion and roypow), I had no idea there was a difference but this little thing explained the difference pretty well. https://www.lithiumguys.com/lithium-ion-vs-lifepo4/
the guy said its the same chemistry being used in Teslas, so thats intriguing.

Another thing he said that made me wanna get one is they have there own charger that is calibrated to the bms/lithium ion (he said most problems they had was by people frying the bms with their stock chargers).

plus a bluetooth app that can update the packs code as it is improved over time so thats cool, plus they are built in Idaho which is close within like 8 hours from me.

I am planning on trying it out for my 2013 ezgo rxv, once I get it Ill probably post a review on here so I can turn people away if its bad haha

Thanks for all the help,
Jerry

[Repiks]

I use one as well as my neighbor on our limo carts. Mine does fine, drives just like stock, maybe a little pep increase from the weight drop. My neighbors is an AC cart that’s heavily modified and so far he’s tripped the BMW twice going 30mph full throttle up steep hills. I suspect a little tuning or a lighter foot would probably help but time will tell.

—edit: For what it’s worth, the pack is so small it really made me raise my eyebrows when I got it. It’s so small that it doesn’t look like it could be close to the AH ratings they’re saying. Once again, I guess time will tell. That’s what sucks about being first users on new stuff like this. Eco batteries were sold out and my wife wanted the cart on the road lol.

[Pat911]

Jcssperson, in my reply in the other thread I stated that they must be using NMC chemistry, which is what you called lithium ion in your post above, hence the less weight and higher energy density.

My problem with their marketing claim is that their 90Ah battery will give you 1.5 times the travel than a comparable 90Ah battery from another manufacturer. 90Ah is 90Ah, no matter how you look at it or how it is stored.

Say, you need to replace the fuel tank in your car and you’re looking at two aftermarket tanks from manufacturer A and B. Manufacturer B claims that their tank will let you travel 1.5 times the distance than manufacturer A’s tank, even though they are both the same size……would you believe it? That’s the EXACT claim that UNO battery is making.

As for the charger claim…..every lithium battery should be charged by a lithium specific charger, LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) included. Are you aware that NMC chemistry is much more volatile than LiFePO4 and is much more susceptible to thermal runaway than LiFePO4? LiFePO4 is a much safer battery to use then NMC.

I have an NMC battery in my cart but I’m not the average user. For the average user I would always recommend LiFePO4.

Cheers
Pat.

[Jcasperson]

Pat,

NMC stands for nickel magnesium cobalt? sorry still trying to learn all the acronyms. I though it was li-ion.

As far as the range, I honestly am not sure, but the other 90Ah systems seem to be almost double or triple the weight. I am no scientist but I imagine this would be another variable to consider when it comes to the batteries range?
Because the exact same sized gas tank in a sedan and an suv would have different ranges due to the vehicle size/weight, right? (more weight=more energy used to move the vehicle) I don't know if this is super accurate, but it seems logical that range isn't just determined by Ah but other factors like size, weight, aerodynamics, cart modifications, etc.

As far as volatility, the hvac system in my house or the gas can in my garage are dangerous or volatile if they are used incorrectly so it comes down to proper handling, storage and use. I'm not planning on handling it recklessly, and I imagine there will be safety features in the bms. I'll know for sure when my new battery gets here!


Thanks
Jerry

[Pat911]

Hi Jerry,

In my post that I linked to above I discussed exactly what you query.

UNO battery claim a 50% increase in range for the same cart conversion, so weight, aerodynamics, mods etc. shouldn’t come into it. The decreased weight of the battery will, but my engineering mind tells me that two identical carts, except for one weighing 60lbs less (which is also suspect), won’t have the range difference they describe.

You are correct about the volatility. Please ensure that if you ever have a BMS failure and one or more of the cells is overcharged or over discharged, then those affected cells are discarded, don’t continue to use them as a fire is the likely result.

Cheers
Pat.

[Bama Brad]

We are all looking for a better deal, newest thing or a better way and sometimes we find it. But I would be careful because sometimes the cost can be more than the money spent. See this thread. I'm not saying anything is wrong with the UNO batteries, but ......

https://www.buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=150460

[Jcasperson]

Pat,

That seems awfully short sighted. I'm wondering if you're the right person to talk on this. You've never owned one of their batteries, so everything you're saying is based off of your opinion not fact.

Logic tells me that you're wrong. weight, modifications, driving habits etc. are all valid variables to consider when determining range. Its definitely easy to say oh its 90Ah without thinking of any of the factors. So maybe this will help explain my point:

Cart A- This cart is bone stock. The only change is the battery. max speed is 12-14mph

Cart B- This cart has all the bells and whistles, It has big beefy wheels a lift kit, it has a stereo and light bar powered by the battery. beyond that it has high speed gear sets, motors, motor controllers, etc. max speed is 30mph.

Now tell me which cart will have more of a range? its pretty obviously the stock cart.

Now I don't know for sure but I would assume that UNO, Relion, Roypow, etc. do their range testing on a stock cart. not a heavily modified one. My cart is stock, so maybe instead of just saying they're lying about the range, Think beyond it.

Thanks
Jerry

[Jcasperson]

Originally Posted by Bama Brad

We are all looking for a better deal, newest thing or a better way and sometimes we find it. But I would be careful because sometimes the cost can be more than the money spent. See this thread. I'm not saying anything is wrong with the UNO batteries, but ......

https://www.buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=150460

Definitely smart to keep in mind, by the looks of this it was not an enclosed system, he bought battery modules and built them himself? I am not intending on doing anything that crazy.

Thanks
Jerry

[Bama Brad]

Yeah, I think your right, but it was his way of saving money. Just be careful and good luck with what ever decision you make.

[Pat911]

Originally Posted by Jcasperson

Pat,

That seems awfully short sighted. I'm wondering if you're the right person to talk on this. You've never owned one of their batteries, so everything you're saying is based off of your opinion not fact.

Logic tells me that you're wrong. weight, modifications, driving habits etc. are all valid variables to consider when determining range. Its definitely easy to say oh its 90Ah without thinking of any of the factors. So maybe this will help explain my point:

Cart A- This cart is bone stock. The only change is the battery. max speed is 12-14mph

Cart B- This cart has all the bells and whistles, It has big beefy wheels a lift kit, it has a stereo and light bar powered by the battery. beyond that it has high speed gear sets, motors, motor controllers, etc. max speed is 30mph.

Now tell me which cart will have more of a range? its pretty obviously the stock cart.

Now I don't know for sure but I would assume that UNO, Relion, Roypow, etc. do their range testing on a stock cart. not a heavily modified one. My cart is stock, so maybe instead of just saying they're lying about the range, Think beyond it.

Thanks
Jerry

Hi Jerry,

I believe that you’ve missed my point. I never stated there wouldn’t be a range difference between a stock cart and a modified cart, there definitely would be a difference in that case. UNO claim a 50% range increase comparing their battery to Allied, Roypow, Relion etc. in a “Class 1 car”, that is in the same cart! There is no difference in weight, tyres etc. except for the difference in battery weight, and I reiterate, the reduction in battery weight will not translate to a 50% increase in range. See their advertising here, bottom of page https://unobatteries.com

Let me ask you and others here, does anyone see a 50% range difference when running their carts with one person on board compared to two? And that’s a weight difference of over 120lbs, twice the weight difference of the UNO battery compared to the others.

As stated in a previous post, my reasoning is based on physics and science, not opinion. I don’t just read what a manufacturer writes and assume it’s gospel, especially when they are comparing directly to other manufacturers with statistics that just don’t add up.

You’ve stated that you’ve already purchased the UNO battery, and that’s great. I haven’t said that it’s a bad battery, I can’t possibly know that without seeing and testing it. I do have issues with their marketing claims though and I’m repeating myself, see my last sentence in post #10

Cheers
Pat.