ELI5 Why do teslas use 400v instead of 800V like the Porsche EVs

It refers to the charge/discharge rate of a lipo pack. You’ll typically see this in the RC world.

Say you have a 11.1v 3S1P 4000 maH lipo battery pack. At 25C discharge would equate to 100 amps max load, at 45C it would be 180A Etc… these amps might seem high but 45C packs are pretty common.

Typically you the charge rate for lipo packs is far lower than discharge rates. You’ll typically charge at 1C. Which means charging a 4000mah pack will take 4 amps continuous for an hour. If you want to charge at 2C you would double the amps and halve the time (8 amps @ 30 minutes). At 10C that’s 40amps @ 6 minutes (packs that can charge 10C are rare and expensive). Most RC hobbyist charge at 1C and lower for prolonged battery health.

/r/teslamotors Thread Parent