My conclusions here and in the test report are just my personal opinion based on my previous experiences and these test results.
I received twelve cells, four of each type mentioned above, shipped from Battery Junction for testing at the beginning of last week, ordered by a third party. In my opinion all twelve cells are fakes or low grade/damaged cells.
Test report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1irxbhYpknojzVwsA7a1486DXdRzFpWf-/view?usp=drivesdk
This post is not to slam Battery Junction but to alert buyers of these cells (and others) that there are a LOT of fakes out there and that the situation will get worse…much worse…as these cells become harder and harder to find. The huge demand from EV manufacturers and the Covid-19 related manufacturing slowdowns have made it very profitable for the scumbags who create fake cells.
While it shocked me that Battery Junction was selling all these fakes they immediately stopped selling these three cell types and sent out refund offers via email as soon as I told them about my test results. I wish that they had a more robust incoming shipment testing program in place but I thank Battery Junction for their quick action in this matter.
Battery Junction needed several days to do their internal investigation (checking if other cell types were also fakes, talking to their supplier, etc.) and then we were going to talk again earlier this week. They have not yet called though.
I had hoped to include an update on their investigation here but I don’t want to wait any longer to post about these bad cells. The (unknown) supplier who sold these to Battery Junction has probably sold thousands more of these to other vendors, if not tens of thousands or more.
For information on these bad cells please read the test report. I cannot say if these cells are dangerous but since they perform a lot worse and run hotter than the cells they pretend to be they certainly can’t be considered as safe to use as genuine cells in good condition.
An important lesson for vendors to take away from this…never assume your supplier is only selling you genuine cells! They might have been fooled or, hopefully this never happens, they know they are selling fakes. Always spot check every shipment.
This does not mean just pulling out a few cells and glancing at the wraps. You need to VERY carefully examine them and at least perform capacity checks. Testing DC internal resistance and/or discharge testing is a great way to help spot fakes too.
I hope to get an update from Battery Junction soon and will post here when I do.
PLEASE READ THESE BULLET POINTS FIRST IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION…
- I do not know if any other cells that Battery Junction was selling were also fakes or bad cells. You will have to check with Battery Junction.
- I do not know when these bad cells started being sold. If you have 25R’s, 30Q’s, or HG2’s purchased from Battery Junction you will have to contact them for more information (www.battery.junction.com).
- I do not know what Battery Junction is doing now to check for fakes or bad cells.
- I cannot tell if your cells are fake or not just from photos. Please do not send me photos asking me to authenticate your cells. If you feel they might be fake then contact the vendor you bought them from.
- The date/batch codes for these fakes and bad cells can be genuine codes that were copied! Genuine cells with these same codes might exist.
- Do not assume that cells you have with the same codes as these cells are fakes/bad. Check the test report for the ways I checked authenticity.
- Do not assume that 25R, 30Q, or HG2 cells with different codes are genuine! There are fakes with many different codes out there.
- These are not the only fake 25R’s, 30Q’s, and HG2’s out there! Others will look slightly different and/or have different date/batch codes. Do not try to use the codes from these cells as the only way you check for fakes or bad cells.
- Other cells, like Murata VTC’s, Molicels, and other popular cells are also being widely faked. Your best defense is to buy from known, trusted vendors or (for Molicels) from authorized distributors.
- If you are a vendor or wholesaler you should have a comprehensive testing program in place for checking every cell shipment you receive. It doesn’t matter how long you have been using a supplier or how much you trust them. The fakes are getting better and better and any supplier could be fooled at some point by a good fake.
