As someone who has tested thousands of these cells, I can safely say you're omitting the cost of the test equipment, the labor and the cost of errors made in testing. You'll either spend a couple months doing it right once after starting with at least 25% more cells than you need to build a pack, or you'll do it 2-3 times over 6 months and multiple trips into the pack. If your time is only worth minimum wage, you'll easily bust $2400.

Presenting Chinese made "D" cells as an option is like saying a Yugo is a good substitute for a Bugatti.

 

Constructing a cell charge/discharge rig was that expensive? I see them used for lithium cell reviews all the time. The time factor makes sense, it's quite a bit of work. Sanyo doesn't make or sell them anymore? And there is always getting similar sized cells from a reputable manufacturer. Aren't they just D size with some plastic spacer pieces and shrink wrap? One could re-spot weld the tabs onto new cells, the wrap is cheap.

I've had good and bad Chinese batteries. For instance some of their LiFEPO4 in the solar space get recommended. These re-builders that advertise new cells are getting them from somewhere. Like ask https://www.greentecauto.com/hybrid-...tery-new-cells what cells they used. The packs usually fail over time too so purchasing a second one used somewhere and then rebuilding while your pack gets worse would be the way to go. You have a ton of them I bet and could just rebuild at leisure.

Another thing in terms of wage time, if something is not easily purchasable, especially at the quality or function you want, the time to make it gets less and less relevant.

 

It adds up. 50 sticks of 5.5Ah and 5 cycles on each is nearly 3500Ah that has to be moved. Many hobby chargers are limited to a 1.5A discharge rate on a 6.0V module meaning the cycling alone will take a month assuming you experience no delays in charger operation (you can immediately start the next when the previous finishes - rarely the case as one has to sleep/work). That's just the reconditioning time - not to mention the actual testing/sorting time as it takes more than just cycling to determine if a stick is good. If you want to speed it up, you spend more money.

Sanyo hasn't sold those cells in 10+ years. There is no demand for them besides HCH and FEH/MMH. It is my understanding that they too use a China manufacturer. The difference is, the cells you're getting from Ford are put through a more rigorous test process. The ones sold on Alibaba are usually the ones that don't meet Sanyo's spec or at the very least are not tested to the same degree.

Re-spot weld them? How many FEH/MMH drivers have that skill or equipment?

Welcome to misleading marketing. "New generation" doesn't mean "new cells." It means they're using cells from the 10-13 packs in 05-09. Nothing is new. You're really mostly just paying for more warranty.

Here's another ad where they actually do use new Chinese made cells:

https://www.greentecauto.com/hybrid-...id-honda-8-amp

Note the lack of "generation."

LFP out of China isn't a good comparison. LFP batteries are ONLY made in China as are these types of NiMH. The difference is LFP has a HUGE active market across multiple industries, most of which are growing, and a manufacturer has a vested interest in the customer coming back for more. NiMH is a dying market. Good luck getting service/support if you have a problem with a NiMH module/pack. They'll insist you return the stick to them to get warranty, and it will cost you more than the cost of a new stick.

It really is pretty hopeless. It's often easier to just pay someone to take on the liability with their warranty.