RC Batteries: Cars, Boats & More

Keep your RC vehicles running like clockwork with our huge range of radio control batteries

To get the best performance out of your RC cars, you need the right batteries. High-quality RC batteries can mean the difference between a sluggish vehicle that quickly loses power and a punchy performance that maintains power right to the end.

You’ll find all the RC batteries you need from dozens of trusted brands including Gens Ace, LRP and Tattu along with RC batteries from your favourite RC brands including HPI Racing, Traxxas, Kyosho, E-Flite and more.

What makes a LiPo battery best for radio control vehicles?

Lithium-ion polymer batteries, or LiPo batteries, use a polymer electrolyte in place of a liquid electrolyte. Their main advantage over other varieties of lithium batteries is their higher levels of specific energy, making LiPo the preferred battery type in devices where weight is a crucial factor including radio-controlled vehicles and aircraft. LiPo batteries provide superior power delivery while weighing less than other battery types.

LiPo batteries are best for drivers who want continuous high-powered performance from their vehicles. Other RC batteries like NiMH batteries, will start losing power steadily once you start driving, whereas LiPo batteries will maintain power more effectively throughout the battery charge allowing them to perform well up until they reach the safety cut off.

Choosing the right radio control batteries

RTR RC vehicles typically come with a NiMH battery. Which is safer to charge and often recommended for younger users or for drivers who will not be using their model very often.

If you want to give your vehicle some extra punch, upgrading to a higher grade battery will give you the performance improvements you’re after. Most modern RC cars will have lipo battery protection built-in (many need to be programmed), this means if you want more performance you can use a LiPo battery and see significant gains in power and run time.

It’s vital to ensure the batteries you choose are compatible with your vehicle, so always read and keep the instructions. There are two numbers you need to look at when selecting your radio control batteries: voltage and capacity.

Voltage

Generally speaking, the higher the voltage the more power. However, you need to make sure that the voltage you select is one that your RC car, aircraft or boat’s power system is designed to cope with. Read your vehicle's tech specs to make sure you’re using the correct voltage RC batteries. The most common voltages of RC batteries are 7.2 V (NiMH), 7.4 V (LiPo) and 11.1V (LiPo)

Capacity

Capacity refers to your RC batteries cell size. This is capacity is usually measured in milliamp-hour capacity or mAh.

On an RC battery, the mAh capacity is indicated by a large number displayed on the face of the battery, such as 2400, 3000 or 5000. A battery that’s rated as 3000 mAh can handle a steady 3000 milliamp (or 3 amp) load for one hour. RC cars draw more than this so a 3000mah battery typically sees a 15-25min run time in a basic RC buggy.

Essentially, the higher the mAh capacity the longer the battery run time.

Charging

It’s worth noting that the higher the mAh capacity, the longer the charging time for your battery, so be prepared to be patient when charging your RC batteries.

It’s recommended that RC batteries are charged using an amperage no higher than their capacity dictates, so a 3000 mAh battery should be charged at 3 amps or less. While you can charge your batteries faster with higher amperage, this can reduce the lifespan of your batteries, risk damage or critical failure.

It’s essential to use the right RC battery charger for your RC batteries as LiPo batteries can catch fire if charged incorrectly. For peace of mind, we recommend keeping your RC batteries in an RC LiPo Safe Bag. These protective cases are designed for safe storage, transport and charging of all RC battery types.

Shop our comprehensive range of RC car batteries, RC boat batteries and RC aircraft batteries

At Frontline Hobbies, it’s our mission to bring you the biggest and best range of hobby supplies, whatever your hobby. We’re proud to offer over 23,000 RC products from RC cars, trucks and buggies to aircraft, helicopters, boats and drones including all the RC parts and accessories you need along with one of the most comprehensive collections of RC batteries Australia has to offer.

Whether you need RC boat batteries, RC car batteries or batteries for your quadcopter, drone or helicopter you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Shop our great range of RC batteries online today and get free shipping on orders of $50 or more. Please note lithium batteries can’t be sent to PO Boxes so please supply a residential or work address for the delivery of your LiPo batteries.

Got a question about our RC batteries? We’re here to help! Get in touch with us online or by phone today and we’ll gladly assist you, or come and visit us at our Newcastle store.