Bosch has introduced aย newย GBA 18V 6.3 Ah battery with Eneracer technology (in Germany). Eneracerย isย anย all new (for Bosch) battery that deliversย up to 90% moreย run timeย as well asย improved life. The enhanced runtime is due to the use of larger 20mm x 70mm cells.ย Life expectancy is increased because the new Boschย Eneracer battery utilizesย theirย CoolPack 2.0 cooling system that reduces heat in the packs. The charger should actually force air through the battery pack to cool the cells and allow for faster recharging. The new batteriesย areย 100% backwards and forwards compatibility with all existingย Bosch 18V tools.
This new packs are very similar to Metabo LiHD batteries, which also use the new larger 20700 lithium-ion cells. Itโs these larger cells that allow them to draw more current (power) as well as maintain longer run-times. We expect more and more manufacturers will make the switch, or at least offer these packs a premium power solutions.
Tesla and Bosch Eneracer Battery Share Tech
Even Tesla is planning to move itsย electric cars to the new cell format in a relatively short period of time. In fact, the new $50 billionย Tesla/Panasonic Gigafactory will be manufacturing these cellsย by the end of the year and will ramp up to full production in 2018. Elon Musk has said thatย โThe exit rate of cells from Gigafactory will be faster than bullets from a machine gun.โ
Obviously, these cellsโthe same as those used in the Bosch Eneracer batteryโare going to be the new wave in lithium-ion cell technology.
The first 18V Bosch Eneracer battery pack to come out (in Germany) is aย 6.3 Ah Li-ion model. The full name is the GBA 18 V 6.3 Ah Eneracer Professional.
Photo credits goย toย https://www.bosch-professional.com
Expect these new battery packs to be a tiny bit larger than existing Bosch packsโeven a bit heavier. The increased power output and run-time, however, will more than compensate. Hereโs an exploded view of the pack:
There have been some limitations on battery power that these new cells might just overcome. Even the new DeWalt FlexVolt technology uses existing 18650 cell technology, though it does so ingeniously. The Milwaukee High Demand 9.0Ah battery pack also uses the current cells. The advantage is sizeโsmaller cells, smaller pack. But, when you want to power larger grinders and saws, any advantage you can get will be critical. Because of this, we are guessing that itโs only a matter of time before more manufacturers offer premium battery packs with similarย cells.
When will the Bosch Eneracer hit US shores? We have no idea, butย weโll let you know as soon as we hear anything. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the most current updates and check us out on Twitter as well.
