How problematic is it to store a LiPo battery in the trunk of a car?

Welcome to RCTalk

Come join other RC enthusiasts! You'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cvieira

RC Newbie
Messages
4
Reaction score
5
Location
Ohio
RC Driving Style
  1. Racing
I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore RC enthusiast, but it's definitely an interest of mine. I have a Traxxas Slash 4x4, and it's a blast to throw around in parking lots or the grass. That being said, I find that I don't drive it very much because I never know when an opportunity to drive it will come up.

As much as I'd like to use it more, as it stands right now, my Slash just sits on my floor, and only gets touched about once a month to re-balance the battery. My question is: how bad of an idea is it to store my Slash in the trunk of my car so I have more opportunities to use it? As I understand it, LiPo batteries are extremely volatile, so I would reason that storing them in a hot car would be wildly dangerous. If this is as terrible of an idea as I think, is there another solution to storing the battery that would allow me to keep it in my car safely?

Thanks for the advice!
 
Heat will kill your Lipo batteries. Keeping it in your car is not recommended. You could keep them in a Lipo bag and take them with you when you get out of the car. Or just make planned trips to drive your rc's. I have to drive a bit to use mine.
 
I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore RC enthusiast, but it's definitely an interest of mine. I have a Traxxas Slash 4x4, and it's a blast to throw around in parking lots or the grass. That being said, I find that I don't drive it very much because I never know when an opportunity to drive it will come up.

As much as I'd like to use it more, as it stands right now, my Slash just sits on my floor, and only gets touched about once a month to re-balance the battery. My question is: how bad of an idea is it to store my Slash in the trunk of my car so I have more opportunities to use it? As I understand it, LiPo batteries are extremely volatile, so I would reason that storing them in a hot car would be wildly dangerous. If this is as terrible of an idea as I think, is there another solution to storing the battery that would allow me to keep it in my car safely?

Thanks for the advice!
To me, it sounds like Russian roulette for your car. End of story
 
A trunk doesn't get as hot as the interior of a car, but I still wouldn't leave a LiPo in there for long.
 
Heat will kill your Lipo batteries. Keeping it in your car is not recommended. You could keep them in a Lipo bag and take them with you when you get out of the car. Or just make planned trips to drive your rc's. I have to drive a bit to use mine.
I see. I think I might just have to be strategic with how I plan trips. Putting the battery in a fire resistant bag is definitely a good call.

When I go out with friends, it's pretty rare that we know where we'll end up, so I'd have to be careful about what trips I bring my RC car on.

I've definitely ruled out leaving the battery in a hot car. However, as a follow up question (when placed in a LiPo bag) how much of a hazard would it be to leave the battery in a car at night (provided the outdoor temperature isn't particularly cold or warm)? The car would only be unattended for a hour or two while my friends and I go to a restaurant or something, as we regularly do after hanging out. Would it be more or less safe to throw the battery in an empty pocket and bring it in with me? I don't see why this would be a huge safety concern, since the battery would basically be in the same conditions as it would be at home, but I thought I'd check with people who understand the chemistry better than I.
 
LiPo's are generally safe. They aren't typically going to just spontaneously burn up, though in some rare instances, I am sure it has happened. But a LiPo battery burns hot enough to liquify steel by way of violently venting toxic, burning gases, so there is that.

If it were me, I would pick the weakest of my friends, drag him out for a day of running the RC, and get him hooked. Then after he buys one, the two of you gang up on the harder to influence friends. Get em all into RC, then you'll be able to plan more RC outings 😂

It's not going to kill your LiPo leaving it in your car while you go eat. Just make sure it's in a LiPo bag, just in case you forget it's in there, because it will likely burn right through your trunk, into the fuel tank, and...
explosion-boom.gif
 
...because it will likely burn right through your trunk, into the fuel tank, and...
View attachment 150662
That would certainly make our outings more interesting.

In all seriousness, is it safe to assume that a LiPo bag would be able to reasonably withstand the heat of a battery catching fire? I'd have to assume so, considering that's their stated purpose.

I keep two fire extinguishers in my car for unrelated safety preparedness, but those certainly wouldn't be much use if I'm not there to intervene. Not to mention the fact that I doubt a fire extinguisher would do much more than annoy an actively burning, charged battery.

Of course, I'm not looking for perfect safety, since such a thing certainly doesn't exist, but I'd obviously like to take appropriate steps to prevent a catastrophic problem in the event there is a battery fire.
 
You could build a trunk bunker , line it with a couple inches of concrete, but then your going to need to beef up your suspension. 🤣 sometimes if we have to make a stop somewhere and I have my lipos with me, I just put them in my pocket, just make sure there is nothing else in you pocket that can puncture them. Seriously lipo bags are portable and probably the best option.
 
That would certainly make our outings more interesting.

In all seriousness, is it safe to assume that a LiPo bag would be able to reasonably withstand the heat of a battery catching fire? I'd have to assume so, considering that's their stated purpose.

I keep two fire extinguishers in my car for unrelated safety preparedness, but those certainly wouldn't be much use if I'm not there to intervene. Not to mention the fact that I doubt a fire extinguisher would do much more than annoy an actively burning, charged battery.

Of course, I'm not looking for perfect safety, since such a thing certainly doesn't exist, but I'd obviously like to take appropriate steps to prevent a catastrophic problem in the event there is a battery fire.
As I recently learned the hard way, you can never be too safe with Lipo's. I have started storing mine in individual LIPO safe bags inside a LIPO safe carrying case.

download.jpeg


images (1).jpeg
 
It would be a tougher to replace your car vs. your Lipo.
 
you can put your lipo in a igloo cooler with a couple of cool packs it will be safe for 36+ hours done it many times in past when I packed mt car up b4 a trip
 
I carry my batteries in a small ZEE bag inside my laptop bag which goes everywhere with me. Can’t pass up that newly paved parking lot!!! 😁 I hear ya with work, kids, etc my RC’s sat so daily I take my Bandit with me and sometimes my Infraction. Happy RC’ing Y’all!!!
 
No way Jose. Not worth losing your car. If you absolutely MUST store your battery in the trunk for whatever reason, use a robust contain, don't just toss the battery in the trunk. I use an old ammo can with the gasket removed for all batteries.. Easy transport, super safe and, i think it's cool.

20220820_091823.jpg


20220820_091830.jpg


20220820_091844.jpg


20220820_091848.jpg
 
Just get a nickel metal hydride battery which you can more safely store in the car and keep the lipo in a safer place for the planned occasions.
 
Just get a nickel metal hydride battery which you can more safely store in the car and keep the lipo in a safer place for the planned occasions.
It's not good to run a brushless RC on nimh, if that is what he is running. Brushless motors draw more amperage than a nimh can deliver. If it is a brushed RC, that is a good option.
 
It's not good to run a brushless RC on nimh, if that is what he is running. Brushless motors draw more amperage than a nimh can deliver. If it is a brushed RC, that is a good option.
Works for our RC’s without any problems.
 
Works for our RC’s without any problems.
Depends on the motor. I had a 1/18 Dromida and upgraded to brushless. I bought LiPo's for it, but still had the OEM nimh pack. It almost melted the first time I used it in the car after the upgrade. It was so hot I couldn't touch it, and it was a brand new battery with only a couple runs on it. To each their own.
 
We don’t use large pinions or high kv motors in 4x4 cars as a general rule when bashing so the stress on the battery is reflected in that. Temperatures of the battery are less than when charging them and everything works and performs as normal. However, we rarely have the need to use nimh batteries and just use lipo batteries mainly because they last longer overall and perform better overall.

Nimh batteries generally are safer to use and easier to charge, and if the owner is smart with gearing and motor choice then using one in lieu of a lipo battery should serve his needs well and be able to be stored in a car safely without worrying about it self igniting. He will however have to ensure it cannot short out on some metal inside his motor vehicle. He will also need to charge it often as they tend to lose charge when sitting over time. He should also put the ESC in Nimh mode too assuming his ESC support that.
 
If you're going to use a stick pack for brushless then Id use NiCD. They are able to deliver higher amp draws then NiMH generally speaking. You just have to make sure you cycle them when charging instead of just charging them.

Heat from being stored in the trunk will still kill them prematurely.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top