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Batteries are a part of life in this electric R/C globe, and knowing about them can greatly ameliorate your hobby experience. Recently, Traxxas moved to limit the supply of their High-Electric current Connectors, reducing the number of battery manufacturers licensed to use the connector to just 1: Traxxas. Now that purchasing a Traxxas vehicle also means using their batteries and chargers, understanding Traxxas' batteries, chargers, and accessories is important for all Traxxas owners. In this guide, we'll go over Traxxas' batteries — both Nickel-Metal Hydride and Lithium-Polymer — the Traxxas iD engineering, and finally, Traxxas' chargers and how to use them. But commencement, let's talk about the nuts of batteries.

Battery Basics

When talking nigh batteries, we need to starting time define the terms past which we will talk over them. In that location are iii main metrics with regards to batteries: voltage, capacity, and discharge rating. Well-nigh all batteries apply voltage and capacity, while Lithium-Polymer (LiPo for short) batteries also usually include the discharge rate, just Nickel-Metal Hydride (or NiMH) batteries don't. Let's explain each metric.

Voltage

The voltage of a bombardment pack is essentially going to determine how fast your vehicle will exist. The more voltage y'all have, the faster you're going to get.

A LiPo cell has a nominal — or median — voltage of 3.7V. For the 7.4V battery above, that means that there are two cells in series (which means the voltage gets added together). This is sometimes why you will hear people talk about a "2S" battery pack - it means that at that place are 2 cells in Series. So a ii-cell (2S) pack is 7.4V, a three-cell (3S) pack is 11.1V, and a 4S pack would be fourteen.8V.

Capacity

Think of capacity as the size of your fuel tank. We measure chapters in milliAmp hours (mAh). Since nosotros volition also talk about another unit of measure out, the Amp (Ah), it will be helpful to know that you can catechumen from mAh to Ah hands.

The higher the chapters, the longer your vehicle will run, just there is a downside to big chapters batteries; the charge time increases proportionally to runtime, so if y'all get an extra 20% runtime (peradventure 3-four minutes), your bombardment will as well take 20% longer to charge, which would be nigh 16 minutes for a 5000mAh bombardment!

Discharge Rating (aka C-Rating)

Voltage and Capacity had a direct touch on certain aspects of the vehicle which makes them easy to understand. The Discharge Rating (hereafter referred to equally the C-Rating) is a scrap harder to understand, and this lead to information technology existence the most misunderstood aspects of LiPo batteries.

The C Rating is simply a measure of how fast the battery can exist discharged safely and without harming the battery. One of the things that makes information technology complicated is that information technology'southward not a stand-alone number; it requires you to also know the capacity of the bombardment to figure out the rubber amp draw (the "C" in C-Rating really stands for Capacity). Once you know the chapters, it's pretty much a plug-and-play math problem. Using the above battery, here'southward the way you find out the maximum condom continuous amp describe.

25C = 25 x Capacity (in Amps)
Calculating the C-Rating of our instance battery: 25 10 v = 125Ah

The resulting number is the maximum sustained load you can safely put on the battery. Going college than that will result in, at all-time, the deposition of the battery at a faster than normal pace. At worst, it could burst into flames. So our case battery can handle a maximum continuous load of 125A.

Traxxas' LiPo batteries have two C-Ratings: a Continuous Rating (which we've been discussing), and a Burst Rating. The Burst rating works the aforementioned way, except information technology is only applicable in ten-second bursts, not continuously. For example, the Burst Rating would come into play when accelerating a vehicle, but non when at a steady speed on a direct-abroad. Batteries are usually compared using the Continuous Rating, not the Burst Rating.

Despite all of Traxxas' LiPo batteries being rated at 25C, it'due south worth noting for those running non-Traxxas batteries that going with a higher C-Rating isn't necessarily ameliorate, as information technology won't increase your speed or runtime. All y'all need is enough to ensure the bombardment is in a higher place the maximum current draw of the motor and speed command — going beyond that is simply a waste of money, as high C-Ratings usually come with a high price tag.

NiMHs Batteries vs. LiPo Batteries

Lifespan

NiMH batteries tin can run a thousand or more cycles before they aren't capable of storing energy, making them a great option if yous're on a upkeep and tin't afford to supersede batteries oftentimes. LiPos, on the other paw, last, on average, between 100 and 200 cycles, so it's probable you're going to supplant them more frequently, but the upside in efficiency and power are worth it to most people. Still, you should know when you buy a LiPo that it won't last forever.

Efficiency

Think of NiMHs as incandescent light bulbs — much of their stored energy is wasted as estrus when running your truck. LiPos are more like LED bulbs that rarely get hot, or even warm. LiPos are the articulate winner here; their chemistry allows them to run around 33% longer than a NiMH with the same capacity, and they are largely available in higher standard capacities than NiMHs. LiPos are also lighter than their NiMH counterparts, and that adds to their efficiency factor too.

Performance

NiMHs don't report their Discharge Ratings on the bundle, then there's no fashion to know exactly how much free energy they can put out, but there is certainly less punch with a NiMH than a LiPo. Additionally, a NiMH battery'due south belch curve is like a gentle colina, and midway through a run, you lot'll observe your truck isn't as fast every bit information technology started. This isn't the instance with LiPos, considering they maintain a pretty steady voltage throughout the run, right upwards until it's depleted, This means more consistent and faster overall runs.

Care and Treatment

With a few exceptions, NiMH batteries are pretty hard to kill. You tin can run them into the ground repeatedly and still accept them piece of work just fine, making them slap-up for beginners and kids. LiPo batteries are a lot more sensitive, and require special intendance beyond merely charging correctly to stay in proficient health. LiPos likewise pose more of a fire risk than NiMH batteries, though fires are very rare with the mod chargers, speed controls, and especially Traxxas' iD technology (more than on that subsequently).

Using Your Batteries

One primal difference between NiMHs and LiPos is how the electronic speed control (ESC) on your vehicle needs to exist fix upwards. LiPo batteries cannot be completely discharged, as this volition permanently damage the battery, so a depression-voltage cutoff needs to be enabled on the ESC to prevent the vehicle from draining the bombardment too far. On Traxxas speed controls, they refer information technology as LiPo Way when the low-voltage cutoff is enabled, and NiMH Mode when it is not. This is toggled back-and-forth using the method described in the video to the correct.

When in LiPo Mode, the speed control has a two-stage cutoff. The first stage will reduce power to approximately 50% of normal — plenty you should notice information technology. This is when you should terminate using the vehicle. If yous keep going, you will hit the 2nd stage, which disables the motor altogether, and the LED on the speed control will slowly blink red. This is the indication yous are dangerously close to harming your battery. Unplug the battery and go information technology on the charger.

If yous use a NiMH bombardment when your ESC is in LiPo Fashion, the speed control will very chop-chop enter the second stage; this is because the standard Traxxas NiMH is an viii.4V battery which, when fully charged, tin wait like a very low 3S LiPo to the ESC, which would then kick into low-voltage cutoff. Brand sure to run in NiMH Mode with NiMHs and LiPo Mode with LiPos.

If y'all purchased a Traxxas vehicle that came with a NiMH battery and later cull to upgrade to LiPos, y'all may be tempted to go back and forth between the NiMH and LiPo batteries. We exercise not recommend this. Nigh people will fail to retrieve to change the mode of the speed control at some bespeak, and if the ESC is left in NiMH Mode when running a LiPo bombardment, the best example scenario is permanently ruining the battery; the worst case is a burn down. When making the switch from NiMHs to LiPos, commit to LiPos completely unless you're 100% certain you can remember to change the setting every time.

Look for LiPo Damage

LiPo batteries can exist fire hazards. Unlike NiMH batteries with their difficult metal casing, LiPos accept a sparse foil wrapper around each cell. While this can make the cells easier to puncture (which isn't good), it too allows you to monitor the wellness of the battery. Never run a LiPo that has been punctured, crushed, deformed, swollen, or appears damaged in anyhow. Brand sure to audit your LiPo batteries carefully before charging; expect for whatever loose leads or connectors, damaged wire insulation, affect damage, fluid leaks, swelling (a sign of internal damage), jail cell deformity, or any other irregularity. If y'all see anything like the conditions listed, don't charge or use the bombardment. Bring information technology in to your local hobby shop and they should exist able to dispose of information technology safely for you.

Always Unplug

When y'all're done using your batteries, make sure to unplug them from the vehicle. Even if the truck is off, the completed circuit created when the battery is plugged in volition drain the battery over fourth dimension, which can impairment your batteries and potentially crusade a fire. It doesn't affair whether you're using NiMHs or LiPos, and this goes for the charger too; don't but get out the battery connection to the charger when you've finished charging. Stay safe and always unplug!

Traxxas Charger Comparison

Batteries Charged at Once 1
NiMH Prison cell Count 4 - 8
LiPo Prison cell Count 2 - three
Charge Rate Range 1Ah - 4Ah
Traxxas iD Compatible Yep
In-Depth Display No
Bluetooth Capable No

Ez-Superlative Live

Batteries Charged at One time 1
NiMH Cell Count five - 8
LiPo Prison cell Count 2 - 4
Charge Rate Range 1Ah - 12Ah
Traxxas iD Compatible Yes
In-Depth Display Yeah*
Bluetooth Capable Yes*
Price $99.99

Batteries Charged at Once 2
NiMH Cell Count 5 - 8
LiPo Cell Count 2 - 3
Charge Rate Range 1Ah - 8Ah†
Traxxas iD Compatible Yes
In-Depth Display No
Bluetooth Capable No

Ez-Peak Live Dual

Batteries Charged at Once two
NiMH Cell Count five - 8
LiPo Cell Count 2 - iv
Charge Rate Range 1Ah - 12Ah
Traxxas iD Compatible Yes
In-Depth Display Yes*
Bluetooth Capable Yes*
Price $179.99

*Requires uniform smartphone or tablet (non included) and Traxxas Ez-Tiptop Alive app.
† 4A Max when charging two batteries at a time.

About Traxxas' iD Engineering science

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A few years ago, Traxxas updated their proprietary high-electric current connectors to the vaguely football-shaped iD connectors. This update was a significant one, equally it was the manufacture's kickoff look at the future of R/C battery charging engineering, as for the starting time time in the hobby, wireless communications technology was built into the connectors and the balance wires of LiPo batteries were integrated into a single connection. The future Traxxas promised with their iD tech was once where LiPo batteries were no more difficult to utilize than NiMHs, as the charger would automatically identify the battery upon connection, and configure itself appropriately. No more complicated menus, no more guesswork — merely smooth, automated operation.

Hither's the kicker: information technology actually works.

I spent an afternoon reading the patent on this technology (so you didn't have to), and equally best I can understand information technology, the iD technology operates in two ways. Outset the charger looks for a bombardment connection, both in the primary positive and negative terminals and in the balance terminals. If information technology sees a connexion on the main terminals and not the balance terminals, information technology defaults to the NiMH setting (because NiMHs don't have residual wires). From there, if it sees connection on the kickoff balance final, it sets information technology up equally a 2S LiPo. If there's a connection on the first and second remainder terminals, it configures itself as a 3S LiPo, and then on and so forth.

Additionally, Traxxas has inserted a unique RFID chip into each battery connector, which can house information like battery chemical science (NiMH or LiPo), cell count, capacity, proper charge rate, number of charges, the battery'due south role number, and more. This information is communicated to the charger, which tin set up charge parameters with the data, in doing and then, providing a backup for the elementary detection of electrical connections on the terminals. All of which ways yous can only plug your battery into the charger and information technology magically just works without the confusing instructions and endless menus of other charging systems.

Information technology's worth noting that modern Traxxas LiPos with the iD technology aren't usable on non-Traxxas iD chargers. Traxxas does non license their patented iD technology to anyone to brand adapters, either. If you wait online for adapters, you lot tin can certainly observe them — the problem is that, without the actual Traxxas license, there'south no Traxxas-level quality control, and these adapters may not provide the quality connexion your batteries need or could be shoddily-fabricated. We practice not recommend using these knock-off adapters and connectors, as they could very well cost you lot more money in the long run, equally Traxxas doesn't warranty batteries charged with other chargers or adapters.

False Peaking: A NiMH Problem

Picture it: you've left your NiMH bombardment on the shelf all wintertime, but bound has finally arrived, and you're ready to get your truck out and tear upward the cul de sac. You start charging the battery, but it's done much quicker than you thought it should be. Shrugging, yous take your truck outside and drive information technology effectually, only to have the battery die within a few minutes. You become within and charge information technology over again, but the same thing keeps happening time and once again. What gives?

NiMH batteries, while very robust in terms of taking corruption, can suffer from faux peaking. NiMHs are similar runners who sat on the couch all wintertime; they can't merely go run a marathon without reconditioning. In the aforementioned fashion, NiMH batteries left unused for a long time won't operate like a battery in peak condition. NiMH chargers look for a specific difference between a voltage peak and valley while charging. If the difference is big enough, the charger thinks the battery to be fully charged. The problem is that dormant batteries tin sometimes fool the charger into thinking the bombardment is full when it isn't. Don't despair, though — this can exist fixed!

All you need to do is ensure a full charge on the battery. Y'all tin do this by charging your battery the normal mode. Proceed a shut eye on it; check in every five minutes or and then. When the charger says information technology's full, feel the bombardment's temperature. If information technology'south still room temp, unplug the battery, plug it back in, and start the charge over once again. Repeat this until the battery is warm to the touch. You can likewise utilise fourth dimension to make up one's mind how full information technology is; the standard 3000mAh viii.4V NiMH battery Traxxas ships with its trucks should have about 45 minutes to accuse fully with Traxxas chargers — if the charge time is significantly less than that, information technology's probably false peaked. Echo the charge until the cumulative charge time is around 45 minutes.

The event should go away within 4 to five cycles. You won't live with simulated peaking forever!

LiPos Are A Tiny Bit More Complicated

When you plug your Traxxas LiPo into your Traxxas Ez-Superlative charger it defaults to balance fashion. Balancing is a fancy term for when the charger makes sure each prison cell within the battery is charged to the same voltage; to practice this, the charger needs to run across more than than just the principal positive and negative wires. You may have noticed an extra wire or two running upward alongside the big chief wires of your bombardment. These are the balance leads. When you plug the battery into the charger, the charger sees the incoming voltage from each cell and is able to modulate the energy going to each i and ensure each gets a full accuse.

While the Ez-Peak Live and Live Dual chargers utilize Bluetooth to connect to your telephone and display plenty of data virtually the battery including each cell's voltage, the less expensive Ez-Elevation Plus and Plus Dual don't show much information at all. This is why we recommend Traxxas' LiPo jail cell voltage checker (#2968X). It includes an adapter and device to permit you to read each cell's voltage, serving as a fashion to come across how much of your battery is left when you lot're out driving effectually.

Finally, even though Traxxas' iD engineering science is really good, there is ever a gamble of something bad happening with whatever LiPo battery. We recommend keeping your LiPos in a charging purse when charging or storing your batteries. A charging bag is a Kevlar-lined pouch, unremarkably with a Velcro enclosure that will contain a burn should ane occur. These bags can vary in price depending on the size and manufacturer; ours sell for well-nigh $10 and can hold a couple batteries at a fourth dimension. Alternatively, accuse your batteries on something non-flammable, like a ceramic tile or in a flower pot.

Storing Your Batteries

NiMH batteries, due to their hardy nature, don't have whatsoever special storage requirements, simply equally with all batteries, extreme temperatures — hot or common cold — can harm them, so brand sure to shop them inside and in a temperature-controlled environs. We recommend using your NiMH batteries at to the lowest degree one time a calendar month to help foreclose the fake peaking problem.

Different NiMH batteries, LiPos have to exist put into a storage mode. This entails having your charger get the voltage of each jail cell in the LiPo downwards to iii.85V. Once this is done, yous should keep your batteries in a fireproof container at standard room temperature (60ºF to 80ºF). Leaving them in the cold, like out in the garage during wintertime, can harm the batteries, as can excessively warm environments. Make sure non to get out your LiPos in a hot car in the summertime!

Each Traxxas charger offers a LiPo storage mode — and then apply it! Improper storage is the number 1 reason people have trouble with LiPo batteries nowadays, and if y'all're not taking care of your batteries, you're but throwing coin away. Traxxas does offer a one yr warranty on their LiPo batteries, but it doesn't cover negligence — and make no error, not making an try to store your batteries properly is negligent behavior. And then take care of your batteries, even if information technology takes a trivial more time at the end of the day — it's worth information technology!

Choosing the Right Equipment for Your Traxxas Vehicle

This is the most common pairing we sell. The standard Traxxas Ez-Peak Plus is a simple-to-utilise charger, and the breadstuff-and-butter 2S 5000mAh LiPo is a swell mid-range workhorse of a battery. Together, they go yous running with the LiPo battery for the lowest possible price.

  • Perfect for Off-Road Use

  • Typical speeds of 40MPH - 45MPH*

  • Charge fourth dimension around 1hr 20min

Or switch to the Ez-Top Alive charger for charge times as fast every bit 30min!

Works peachy with the follow vehicles:

  • Rustler
  • Rustler VXL
  • Rustler 4x4
  • Rustler 4x4 VXL
  • Stampede
  • Stampede VXL
  • Stampede 4x4
  • Stampede 4x4 VXL
  • Slash
  • Slash VXL
  • Slash 4x4
  • Slash 4x4 VXL
  • All TRX4 Models

*Typical speeds for vehicles running VXL-3S brushless motor systems. Brushed systems volition be box-advertised speeds.

This is your typical high-speed combo. The higher voltage of the 3S LiPo increases maximum RPM resulting in highway speeds — simply exist careful! These iii cell batteries aren't meant for running in grass and will crusade the motor and speed control to heat up dramatically — and so poof! Your electronics become up in smoke.

This pack is shorter than normal to accommodate the shorter wheelbase of the Rustler and Stampede vehicles, simply it will likewise piece of work fine with the Slash models equally well.

  • A long-distance speed-run battery - On-Route only!

  • Typical speeds of 50MPH - 65MPH

  • Charge time around 1hr 20min

Or switch to the Ez-Peak Live charger for charge times as fast as 30min!

Works great with the post-obit vehicles:

  • Rustler VXL
  • Rustler 4x4 VXL*
  • Stampede VXL
  • Stampede 4x4 VXL
  • Slash VXL
  • Slash 4x4 VXL
  • Maxx
  • All TRX4 Models

*Rustler 4x4 VXL requires battery hold downwardly #6725 (sold seperately)

This is your typical high-speed combo. The college voltage of the 3S LiPo increases maximum RPM resulting in highway speeds — only be careful! These three cell batteries aren't meant for running in grass and will crusade the motor and speed control to heat upward dramatically — then poof! Your electronics go up in smoke.

This pack is longer than normal, and then it won't work in trucks like the Rustler or Stampede, only information technology's great for the Slash or TRX-4 trucks!

  • A long-altitude speed-run battery - On-Road only!

  • Typical speeds of 50MPH - 65MPH

  • Accuse time around 1hr 20min

Or switch to the Ez-Tiptop Alive charger for accuse times equally fast as 30min!

Works neat with the post-obit vehicles:

  • Slash VXL
  • Slash 4x4 VXL
  • Maxx
  • All TRX4 Models

Ez-Peak Alive (2971) & 4S 14.8v 5000mAh Traxxas LiPo (2889X)


The Traxxas Maxx is unique amongst its 1/10th scale kin: it can run a 4S LiPo! This is the battery you're looking for if you want the Maxx to be speedy, every bit information technology can go the truck up to 55MPH with stock gearing! The Ez-Elevation Live is necessary here, equally neither the Ez-Peak Plus or the Ez-Meridian Dual can charge the bigger 4S battery pack — simply with the Ez-Peak Live, yous get much faster charge times and Bluetooth connectivity to your telephone or tablet, putting loads of important information at your fingertips.

  • A speed pack and charger for the Maxx 1/tenth scale monster truck.

  • Typical speeds of 50MPH - 55MPH

  • Charge time effectually 40min

Works great with the following vehicles:

  • Maxx

Ez-Acme Dual (2972) & 2x 2S seven.4v 5000mAh Traxxas LiPos (2842X)

For those Eastward-Revo and Tiptop users out there. This dual battery and charger setup is perfect for those bigger trucks, especially if off-road is your thing. This setup limits your summit speed, simply on the flip side, you go plenty of torque to ravage your lawn with. The Ez-Pinnacle Dual allows you to charge both of your batteries at the same time, meaning you lot get to play more oftentimes!

  • The perfect off-road setup for an East-Revo VXL or Pinnacle

  • E-Revo VXL: typical speeds of 40MPH - 45MPH

  • Top: typical speeds of 25MPH - 35MPH

  • Charge time around 1hr 20min

Or switch to the Ez-Tiptop Live Dual charger for charge times every bit fast as 30min!

Works slap-up with the following vehicles:

  • E-Revo VXL
  • Top

Ez-Peak Dual (2972) & 2x 3S 11.1v 5000mAh Traxxas LiPos (2872X)

If you lot want to go fast — I mean really fast — with your E-Revo VXL, this is the setup you're looking for. Dual 3S LiPos volition give your East-Revo VXL highway speed, only don't effort those speeds off-road; the motor and speed command aren't designed to take the kind of electric current that comes with these high-speed batteries combined with the strain of driving off-route. Go on it on pavement, and exit your buddies in the dust!

If yous want low speed grunt power in your Ten-Maxx, however, this is the perfect combo for you!

  • For on-road elevation-speed runs in an E-Revo

    • Typical speeds of 55MPH to 65MPH

  • For any application in a Ten-Maxx

    • Typical speeds of 30MPH to 35MPH

  • Charge time around 1hr 20min

Or switch to the Ez-Height Live Dual charger for accuse times as fast as 30min!

Works groovy with the following vehicles:

  • E-Revo VXL
  • X-Maxx

Ez-Summit Live Dual (2973) & 2X 4S xiv.8v 5000mAh Traxxas LiPos (2889X)

The ultimate X-Maxx setup. Push your truck to 55MPH and over with these dual 4S LiPos. The Ez-Pinnacle Alive Dual is critical here, because it's the simply charger than can charge two Traxxas 4S LiPo batteries at the same time. With the aforementioned Bluetooth connection as the unmarried-port Ez-Peak Live, the Live Dual charger is the height-of-the-line charger for Traxxas' peak-of-the-line truck.

  • For whatever application in a 10-Maxx

  • Typical speeds of 50MPH - 55MPH

  • Accuse time around 40min

Works great with the following vehicles:

  • X-Maxx

That's it!

You lot've learned the bones necessities to take care of your batteries and help them alive longer lives — saving you money, fourth dimension, and stress. Traxxas' iD system has taken near of the frustration out of charging and using batteries in the radio-controlled hobby, but only because it'southward easy doesn't hateful yous shouldn't understand the fundamentals. Having a foundation in the nuts of batteries allows you to keep building your knowledge and increase the amount of fun you can take in the hobby. If you lot want a deeper swoop into the ins and outs of LiPo batteries, bank check out our more-advanced Guide to Understanding LiPo Batteries.

Every bit always, if y'all have questions, reach out to your local hobby shop or Traxxas. Whoever you lot contact, they should be set up and willing to assist you, because information technology'south in everyone's best interest for you to bask the hobby!