There’s more downsides than range, but you are correct that each battery chemistry has it’s place. Notably sensitivity to physical abuse and the higher requirements for keeping a lipo pack at proper storage voltage as often as possible.
Actually the only characteristic lipos really excel at is power density (and good voltage curve). Li-ion and LiFePo have the advantage in all other aspects.
LiPo (typically LCO chemistry, 3.7V nom, 4.2 - 3.6v safe range, polymer gel electrolyte)
General Characteristics:
Cycle_Life: Poor (50-300 charge cycles)
Energy_Density (Specific Energy): Good (100–200 Wh/kg) - Heavier for a given capacity than li-ion / roughly 2x the weight for the same range
Discharge_Rate: Excellent - Highest discharge rates / C rate (“punchy”). Can get much higher discharge on smaller packs if not concerned about range. (10-25C actual / 200A+)
Charge_Rate: Average (1C typical, 3C maximum)
Voltage_Curve: Good - Flatter curve / minimal voltage sag / maintain a higher voltage under load for longer
Cost: Average. Easy to purchase, widely available
Quality: Average - more prone to swings in manufacturing quality, dimensions, and weight
Safety: Poor - Most sensitive to piercing / blunt damage / thermal runaway. Requires hard case for safety. Easily damaged by discharging too far (will unbalance rapidly below 3.6V.
Operating_Temperature: Average, 5 to 50°C charge (damage will occur if charging at over 60°C)
Aging: Poor- easily damaged if left above recommended storage charge for '3+ months
Packaging: pouch packs come in compact ‘bricks’ of varying sizes, encased in a semi-flexible shell. No standard size exists. Easy to replace / swap / carry extra backups, but added complexity of multiple battery packs.
Cell_Balancing: Requires a BMS or balance charger to eliminate state of charge (SOC) mismatch.
Note: Inaccurate manufacturer C rating is very common (typically around 2-3x exaggerated)
Examples: Gens Tattu, Turnigy Nano-Tech, Turnigy Graphene, Venom, MaxAmps
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