RC cars can either run on electricity or gas, however, irrespective of what fuel type they use, a battery is still the most important part of an RC car.
In electric models, batteries supply power to the engine. While in the nitro-powered models, the battery is required to power the servos and receiver of the car.
All in all a battery is the heart and soul of an RC car as the performance of the car is totally dependent on the battery.
So, if you are building an RC car from scratch or either you want to replace the old batteries, make sure you only choose the best battery if you don’t want to compromise on your car’s performance.
However, if you don’t have much knowledge about batteries then you take the help of this article where we show how to pick the best RC car batteries along with the 7 best options to choose from.
Image | Name | Ratings | Price |
  | AWANFI 7.2V 3600mAh RC Battery | ||
  | Zeee Lipo Battery | ||
  | Tenergy 7.2V Battery Pack High Capacity | ||
  | Gens ace 5000mAh 50C LiPo Battery Pack | ||
  | Zeee 5200mAh 2S RC Lipo Battery |
Best RC Car Battery List
1. Zeee LiPo Battery
We are starting off our list with the LiPo battery from a company called Zeee. It is a high-performance 7.4V 8000mAh battery with a 100C discharge rate.
The high discharge rate of this battery enables it to provide a higher current draw which makes your RC model more speedy.
Moreover, the battery has 2 cells packed in a 2S2P configuration inside a hard case which makes this battery durable and rugged. Also, at just 320g the weight of this LiPo battery is not very heavy.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.4V
- Battery capacity: 8000mAh
- Discharge Rate: 100C
- Application: RC cars, trucks, boats, and helicopters.
- Configuration: 2S2P
- Connector Type: Deans Plug
- Dimension: 5.43×1.85×0.98 inches
- Weight: 320g
2. Tenergy NiMH RC Car Battery
The second RC car battery on this list is a 6 cell NiMH battery with 3000mAh capacity which gives an output voltage of 7.2V with a maximum discharge rate of 30 Amps.
It overall provides a decent amount of power to your RC model and for a longer time than the NiCd cells.
Also, it comes in a flat design against most NiMH batteries which have a cylindrical shape, and therefore it perfectly fits on all RC10 cars.
It also supports rapid charging which allows you to charge it in comparatively lesser time than other RC batteries.
Moreover, this battery has no memory effects, so you can charge it anytime without waiting for it to completely drain out.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.2V
- Battery capacity: 3000mAh
- Discharge Rate: 30 Amps
- Application: RC cars, trucks, boats.
- Configuration: 6s
- Connector Type: Standard Tamiya connectors
- Dimension: 5.39×1.87×0.95 inches
- Weight: 330g
3. Gens ace LiPo Battery
The Gens ace is a 2s configured LiPo battery that is specially designed for 1/8 and 1/10 cars of different RC car brands. It gives a minimum 50C discharge rate which can go up to 100C maximum burst.
The high current burst provides enough power for acceleration. The charge capacity of this LiPo battery is 5000mAh which ensures a long runtime on one charge.
Although it supports a high-capacity battery, it doesn’t take much time to fully charge it up, all thanks to its fast-charging capabilities.
Also, the battery has a long life cycle of 150 times a minimum which can easily go above 500 times. A battery’s life cycle is how many times the battery can be fully recharged once it’s completely discharged.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.4V
- Battery capacity: 5000mAh
- Discharge Rate: 50-100C
- Application: 1/8 and 1/10 RC cars
- Configuration: 2s
- Connector Type: Deans Plug
- Dimension: 5.43×1.85×0.98 inches
- Weight: 304g
4. AWANFI NiMH Battery
If you are looking for an RC car battery of wide compatibility with different RC models and drones then this NiMH battery from AWANFI is the right product for you.
It comes in a pack of two NiMH batteries with each containing 6 cells with a capacity of 3600mAh.
Moreover, the cells on this battery are welded together with the low resistance silicon wires which enhances its performance.
Also, it comes in a very compact size that easily fits in all 1/10 RC cars.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.2V
- Battery capacity: 3600mAh
- Discharge Rate: 30 Amperes
- Application: 1/10 RC cars and other RC models
- Configuration: 6S
- Connector Type: Tamiya connectors
- Dimension: 5.08 x 1.77 x 0.95 inches
- Weight: 375g
5. Zee 2S LiPo Battery
No doubt LiPo RC car batteries are expensive, but if you want a lithium polymer battery under $20 then you can consider going with this product.
It has a 5200mAh capacity with a 7.4 V voltage output. The cells inside this battery are packed in a 2S1P configuration which provides an 80C discharge rate.
The 80C discharge rate provides high power to the RC cars. It can perfectly fit on 1/8 and 1/10 RC cars along with other models like trucks, buggies, planes, etc.
The battery also comes with a 12-month warranty so you can go with it without any doubt.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.4V
- Battery capacity: 5200mAh
- Discharge Rate: 80C
- Application: 1/8 and 1/10 RC cars and other RC models
- Configuration: 2S1P
- Connector Type: Deans Plug
- Dimension: 5.43×1.85×0.98 inches
- Weight: 250g
6. FLOUREON 2S LiPo RC Car Battery
If you have an RC model that only works on the 7.4V supply with a T plug then you can go with this battery. It is a 5200mAh battery with a 30C discharge rate.
Moreover, you get two velcros with it so you can easily install it on your RC car. It works well with all the 1/8 and 1/10 RC cars(only if the voltage, plug, and dimension match).
However, if you’re still in doubt then let me tell you that it comes with 60 days money-back guarantee and an 18-month exchange.
So overall it’s a good deal for the money and you can try it out at least once.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.4V
- Battery capacity: 5200mAh
- Discharge Rate: 30C
- Application: 1/8 and 1/10 RC cars and other RC models
- Configuration: 2S
- Connector Type: T Plug
- Dimension: 5.51×1.89×0.98 inches
- Weight: 530g
7. Flylinktech NiMH RC Rechargeable Batteries
So we are going to end the list of best RC car batteries with NiMH RC rechargeable batteries from Flylinktech.
It comes in a pack of two batteries with each battery having a capacity of 5000mAh and an output voltage of 7.2 volts. It works with all different RC cars from brands like Traxxas, Team Associated, LOSI, Tamiya, HPI, etc.
Apart from RC cars it also works well with other RC models like boats, trucks, buggies, etc.
However, with just 15 Amps discharge current you can’t expect it to give super fast speed, but it’s good enough for cheaper RC cars.
Also, it’s immune to the memory effect so you can charge this battery anytime with RC Car battery charger.
Specifications:
- Battery voltage: 7.2V
- Battery capacity: 5000mAh
- Discharge Rate: 15 Amps
- Application: For all entry-level RC models
- Configuration: 6S
- Connector Type: Tamiya Connectors
- Dimension: 6.2 x 3.7 x 2.8 inches
Conclusion
Now you can choose the best RC car battery from the above list, depending upon your car support type. RC cars are nothing without batteries and therefore it is of utmost importance that you take good care of them.
However, if you feel like your old batteries have no more life to them then you can simply replace them with newer more powerful batteries. Doing so will do wonders to your RC car and you will feel the power when you take it out for the run.
How To Pick The RC Car Battery?
There are two types of batteries that are generally used in RC cars; NiMH(Nickel-Metal Hydride), and LiPo(Lithium Polymer).
The name of the metals used in both batteries i.e Nickel-Metal Hydride and Lithium Polymer are metals that are used in NiMH and LiPo batteries respectively for storing and releasing energy in the form of electricity.
Both the batteries have their merits and demerits which we are going to discuss further in this article.
Apart from that, there are other factors like the capacity, voltage, discharge rate, etc which you should keep in mind in order to pick the best RC car battery.
1. NiMH VS LiPo Battery
NiMH
The NiMH batteries generally come preinstalled in RTR(Ready To Run) RC cars as these batteries are inexpensive, durable, and needs less maintenance.
A NiMH battery pack is basically constructed with 6 to 8 cylindrical cells which look like AA cells.
But, these batteries are a bit on the heavier side when compared to a LiPo battery with the same voltage and charge capacity.
However, the downside of these batteries is that their voltage output steadily gets lower with each passing minute i.e the speed of the car steadily decreases by the moment you start running it.
LiPo
The LiPo batteries are packed with flat slab-like cells which makes these batteries more compact than NiMH batteries which use cylindrical cells.
These batteries are mostly sold separately as an accessory but there are some high-end RC models that come with a LiPo battery built-in.
Moreover, the LiPo batteries are lighter than the NiMH, which overall reduces the weight of the car which makes the car run faster at the same energy consumption.
On top of that, these batteries have the ability to supply output voltage at a constant rate until its fully discharged. However, the price of these batteries is more than that of NiMH batteries.
2. Capacity
The capacity is a measure of how much charge a battery can store, which indirectly means for how much time your RC model shall run per charge.
The capacity of a battery is measured in mAh, and the higher the number the more the capacity of the battery. However, a battery with a bigger capacity also takes more time to charge, you should also keep that in mind.
3. Voltage
The voltage of a battery determines how much power or speed your car will deliver if you put the battery in it. Just like capacity, the more the voltage the better it is, but there’s a limit to it.
You can’t just use a battery with more output voltage than recommended for your RC model. And that’s because it can cause overvoltage which can even damage the electronics of your model if it does no support over-voltage protection.
So it’s important that you only buy a battery for your RC car if its voltage, dimension, and plug connector match the original battery of your RC car.
4. Discharge Rate
The discharge rate of a battery is a measure of how much constant current you can draw or pull from it without damaging the battery.
It also tells you about the time it will take to completely discharge the battery when it’s fully charged.
The maximum current draw is calculated as a product of battery capacity and the discharge rate of the battery i.e maximum current draw = battery capacity x discharge rate of the battery.
For example a LiPo battery of 3000mAh capacity with 40C discharge rate can give a maximum current draw of = 3000mAh x 40C= 120000mAH.
Which can be further normalized as 120000/1000= 120A. So this battery can give a current draw of up to 120 A at max. The more the current draw the higher the speed and acceleration an RC car can achieve.
5. Battery Charger
When you buy a new battery for your RC car or other RC toys make sure you also purchase the right charging essential for it. Like if you have bought a NiMH battery then you must have a NiMH charger or you can buy a new one.
Similarly, you need a LiPo charger to charge a LiPo battery pack. It’s very important to charge the battery with their respective chargers to keep them in good health.
However, if you are buying both the LiPo and NiMH batteries then you can go with a multi-charger that can charge both the battery types like the Tenergy TB6-B Balance Charger.
FAQs
1. What are S and P mentioned in Batteries?
A battery is basically packed with a number of individual cells. Like in the case of NiMH batteries, there are generally 6 to 7 cells per pack.
Now, the 6S,7S, or 8S on a NiMH battery means that the cells are placed in a serial manner i.e in series.
While a LiPo battery can have cells in series as well as in parallel like a pack of 4 cells is packed as 2 in series and 2 in parallel which makes a 2s2p configuration. But mostly the cells are packed in 2s or 2S1p configuration in a LiPo battery.
2. How Long Do RC Batteries Last?
It depends on how much you use the battery and how you take care of it, but on average, a good RC rechargeable battery would give you a life cycle of 500-1200 times.
3. Can You Upgrade Your RC Battery?
Yes, you can defiantly upgrade your RC car battery, in fact, upgrading to a better RC battery is the easiest most economical way to enhance your car’s performance.
