Electric RC cars and trucks mainly use two types of rechargeable RC batteries–Nickel Cadmium (NiCD) and Nickel Metal Hybride (NiMH). NiCD is an older type of battery than the NiMH. NiCD batteries, which are cheaper than NiMH, develop charge memory which can affect the battery’s capacity. If not fully discharged before charging, the battery will no longer charge to maximum capacity.
NiMH batteries, however, do not develop charge memory and have a larger capacity but are more expensive.
Many cars and trucks run on 7.2 volt batteries and batteries are sold in packs of six or more. One battery will run your electric car or truck for approximately 10 minutes, depending on the driving conditions. To maximize your battery’s performance–make sure to fully discharge each battery and use a peak detection charger to avoid overcharging.
Several good battery brands are: Sanyo, Tamiya, Orion, Fukuyama, Panasonic and Trinity.
Tags: battery maintenance, Fukuyama, NiCD, NiMH, Orion, Panasonic, RC battery, Sanyo, Tamiya, Trinity