Anyone use "Odyssey" batteries in their EV conversion?

[Electric Frenzy]

I had an Odyssey battery in my RX7 and LOVED it. It was so small and compact I installed it in my glove box. These batteries are very lightweight and compact and seem to be much more reliable than other "premium" batteries. Has anyone used these for an EV conversion?

[SVOboy]

I'm sure some have, but the cost would be VERY high.

[Ryland]

Their momentary output is high but their sustained output is low, so it's like comparing the puring capabilities of a milk jug to a soup bowl, sure one can empty it's self faster but the other holds more, those little batteries are designed for momentary high outputs, and if you don't charge them back up right away they tend to be dead for good, so unless they found some way to cram more amp hours (not cold cranking amps) in to a lead acid battery... they are pretty much worthless for an EV.

[Electric Frenzy]

they aren't lead-acid batteries. They are AGM. It seemed to me the amo-hour ratings were very high. I went over a spec sheet and they looked like very powerful batteries with a high reserve capacity. These are often used in racers with no alternators so they're used to powering everything by themselves for extended periods of time.

[Ryland]

Absorbed glass mat batteries are still lead acid batteries, they do however have a glass mat that holds the acid and keep the lead plates separated so they can be thiner and closer together, they tend to be less forgiving in over charging and discharging as the plates are thiner and the sealed design incorporates pressure release valves that vent the hydrogen and oxygen as it's produced from over charging, with AGM batteries there is no way to replenish that once it's gone, with my T105 golf cart batteries in my electric car I just open the caps and add more distilled water, something that with heavily used batteries happens about once per month, on a lightly used battery like sits under the hood of a gas car you might add water every 5 years, or replace the battery altogether every 5 years.

[greenontime]

Originally Posted by Electric Frenzy

I had an Odyssey battery in my RX7 and LOVED it. It was so small and compact I installed it in my glove box. These batteries are very lightweight and compact and seem to be much more reliable than other "premium" batteries. Has anyone used these for an EV conversion?

For others interested in using the Odyssey batteries as well, I really love this place. They have not let me down yet!!

Check it out: Battery Tex - Your Source for Batteries. I had a few friends recommend them and have been pleased thus far.

-G on T

[AmpEater]

I do!

I had 13x odyssey pc1750 (75ah) in my datsun 240z EV project. Best AGMs you can buy, IMHO. They could dish out more than my motor/controller could handle (even at 1000A) so it seemed like a waste of high power AGMs. I remember during the testing phase I went up to a parking lot and did launch after launch, burnout after burnout, stopping only because my motor started to smoke. Went home and they were measuring 12.6v each....barely in need of charging.

Now the same 13x oddysey AGMs are going into my 1952 Ford F-1 project with a 1800A controller and 13" motor. Still 3 years left on the warranty, so they will be getting a serious workout.

They can put out some serious amperage, but they can also take huge charging currents. >100A charging isn't a problem, if you can find the power to do it. With a PFC50 w/ buck upgrade (75a) charging from a 240 line you can go from 20% to 90% SOC in less than an hour.

Though if I was buying new batteries right now I'd be buying LiFePO4. Thundersky/Sky energy for a commuter/cruiser or A123/Headway for a racer. The power/weight can't be beat.

[AmpEater]

Originally Posted by Ryland

Their momentary output is high but their sustained output is low, so it's like comparing the puring capabilities of a milk jug to a soup bowl, sure one can empty it's self faster but the other holds more, those little batteries are designed for momentary high outputs, and if you don't charge them back up right away they tend to be dead for good, so unless they found some way to cram more amp hours (not cold cranking amps) in to a lead acid battery... they are pretty much worthless for an EV.

You obviously don't have much experience with them. Check out the oddysey technical manual. They do into great detail about all the testing done, life cycle vs DOD, mil spec requirements, etc. One such test involves draining to 0%, placing a resistor across the terminals for 30 days, and then charging with a fixed voltage for 24 hours. IIRC, capacity was about 75% of original and improved over the next few cycles.

Pretty hard to kill....