Having difficulty getting ROLLS batteries in Europe, anyone know anything please

[clockmanFRA]

I have a friend who is upgrading his Off grid batteries.

Having real difficulties getting what he wants.

Seems that ROLLS has a 3 to 5 month backlog.

What is happening in Canada ?

 

[Rob Beckers]

Clockman, it's the same here (in Canada). We sell Rolls batteries, and it's been a bear to get/keep supply on the shelves. Their 5000-series is not too bad, 6 - 8 weeks lead-time, but their most popular 4000-series one (S-550, or S6 L16-HC as it's called now) is about 3 - 5 months between orders and actually getting them. We stagger orders with Rolls, so we have something coming every couple months. It's been rough though.

By the way, it's not just Rolls, Trojan has the same long lead-times.

-RoB-

[electrondady1]

does this have to do with the break down of the supply chains around the world?

[Mary B]

Probably, the acid or plastic for the cases may be sitting in a cargo container off the US west coast... 100+++ ships backed up off the port of Los Angeles...

[SparWeb]

Long lead times for Pb batteries...

...there's a fancy pun in there somewhere.

[clockmanFRA]

Thank you 'Rob' and 'Mary' for the information.

That confirms what we here in Europe.

Managed to get my Friend sorted out with some 4000 series from Spain, although one up in ah model, but he actually had some stock.

According to someone in the UK, Rolls are thinking of dropping their Lead Acid range and start manufacturing LIFEPO types, as it seems they can make 3 times the profit margin than Lead Acid ?

Also high price rises coming From Rolls because of the 4 times than normal shipping charges. ?

Best get busy with making my PLANTE batteries.

 I was hoping the family would be here in France for Christmas holidays, with some rolls of lead sheet, but them getting here is becoming a nightmare with these new COVID restrictions and isolation restrictions.

'electrondady1' , "does this have to do with the break down of the supply chains around the world?"   Starting to look like that.

'Sparweb', Cheer us up?

[joestue]

200$ a kilowatt hour and the prospect of 3000 full discharge cycles tapering to 80% capacity sounds a lot better to me than lead acid.

can't even get agm cells to last more than 3 years in a ups, floating at 13.8 volts.

[bigrockcandymountain]

Surette rolls 6.65kwh lithiums are $9500. I would need 2 so $19 000

S550 lead acid are $440 and i would need 8 so $3520

I'm still sold on lead.  Where are thesse lithiums for $300 / kwh?

[Rob Beckers]

Surette rolls 6.65kwh lithiums are $9500. I would need 2 so $19 000

S550 lead acid are $440 and i would need 8 so $3520

I'm still sold on lead.  Where are thesse lithiums for $300 / kwh?

You'd have to go full-blown Chinese product for that price (i.e. no warranty, dubious product). Cheapest for us is just about twice that. I don't see lithium come down all that much from where we are now. It's a constrained market, with demand on the rise. In a way it's amazing that lithium is competitive with AGMs at this point (and without the issues AMGs have). For larger systems flooded lead-acid is still the way to go!

-RoB-

[Scruff]

...start manufacturing LIFEPO types, as it seems they can make 3 times the profit margin than Lead Acid ?

That seems to correlate with my application suitability studies conclusion thus far.

the prospect of 3000 full discharge cycles tapering to 80% capacity sounds a lot better to me than lead acid.

Not far off the mark for a traction lead battery to be honest...all things considered like derating the proclaimed battery usable to 80% capacity and calling it the new 100%.

can't even get agm cells to last more than 3 years in a ups, floating at 13.8 volts.

I'd question the UPS not the battery.
I've 11 year old AGMs but they're not a shade as good as flooded.

I had to jump start my lifepo thuther morning expecting a powercut. Another 100 year storm twas.
I got the hot air gun out to fool all the temperature sensing protections I built into it and set the charger to C30 so I didn't destroy it charging it cold.

The main lead one that I use to do the heavy lifting didn't need charging because it likes being stored charged.