NiMH batteries are the tougher, simpler, more forgiving choice; LiPo batteries pack more power and run time into a lighter pack but demand more careful handling. Beyond that chemistry choice, matching a battery to your car comes down to four things: voltage (cell count), capacity (mAh), discharge rate (C-rating), and connector type. Get those four right and almost any battery from a reputable brand will work well.
NiMH vs LiPo: which should you run?
NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) is the older, more tolerant chemistry. It's heavier and holds less energy for its size than LiPo, but it shrugs off a lot of the handling mistakes that matter with LiPo - a NiMH pack that's been left flat for a while, charged on a basic charger, or knocked around in a boot doesn't carry anywhere near the same risk. That tolerance is why it's still the sensible default for a first car or for anyone who'd rather not think hard about battery care.
It's also more forgiving of a basic charger without a dedicated balance mode, since NiMH packs are a single cell group rather than several cells that need to stay matched to each other - part of why NiMH chargers are typically simpler and cheaper than the balance chargers LiPo needs.
LiPo (lithium polymer) trades that tolerance for performance: more capacity and power for the same size and weight, which is why almost every serious basher, racer or upgraded RTR runs it. The trade-off is careful handling around charging, storage and disposal - we cover all of that properly in LiPo Battery Charging & Safety, which is worth reading in full before running your first pack rather than picking it up as you go.
There's no universally better chemistry here - a NiMH-powered basher that gets driven hard every weekend is a perfectly good setup, and plenty of experienced hobbyists keep a NiMH pack around because it tolerates being left in a bag between sessions. Pick LiPo when the extra performance and run time matter to you and you're willing to follow the charging and storage routine; stick with NiMH if you'd rather not think about any of that.
Voltage & cell count: what can your car take?
The two chemistries label voltage differently. NiMH packs are usually labelled by total pack voltage (a common RC pack is 7.2V, made up of six 1.2V cells in series). LiPo packs use 'S' notation instead - 2S is two cells in series (7.4V nominal), 3S is three cells (11.1V), and so on. More cells means more voltage, which generally means more speed and punch from the same motor.
The number that matters is what your car's ESC (electronic speed control) and motor are rated for, not what a battery is capable of supplying. Every RTR's manual states a maximum supported voltage or cell count, and going over it - running 3S in a car built for 2S, for example - risks cooking the ESC or motor well before you notice anything else going wrong. Check the manual before any voltage upgrade, not after.
mAh: what capacity means
Capacity, measured in milliamp-hours (mAh), is how much charge a battery holds - the bigger the number, the longer it runs before needing a recharge, all else being equal. A 5000mAh pack run under the same conditions as a 2500mAh pack lasts roughly twice as long between charges. Bigger capacity generally means a bigger, heavier battery too, so there's a practical trade-off between run time and how much weight you're adding to the car.
A common early mix-up worth clearing up: mAh doesn't affect how powerful or fast a battery makes your car feel - that's mostly down to voltage and C-rating instead. Two batteries at the same voltage and C-rating but different mAh will feel identical off the line; the only difference is how long the higher-capacity one keeps running before it needs a recharge.
A second battery is one of the more common upgrades for this reason - rather than chasing ever-larger capacity in one pack, many owners run two smaller, more manageable packs and swap between them, keeping one on charge while the other runs. What to Buy With Your First RC Car covers that upgrade path in more detail.
C-ratings without the marketing
C-rating describes how fast a battery can safely discharge its capacity, as a multiple of that capacity - a 5000mAh battery rated at 30C can theoretically deliver up to 150A continuously (5Ah x 30). In practice, C-ratings printed on cheaper or less reputable packs are frequently optimistic well beyond what the cells can sustain without heating up or degrading, since there's no independent standard forcing manufacturers to prove the number.
The clearest real-world symptom of an under-rated battery is voltage sag: the car feels strong for a moment under hard acceleration, then noticeably loses punch as the battery's voltage dips under load it can't quite supply cleanly. A properly-rated pack for the same job holds its voltage far more steadily through the same hard runs.
The practical takeaway: don't shop by the highest C-rating number alone. Match capacity and C-rating to what your motor and ESC draw under load (your car's manual or the ESC's spec sheet will give a rough figure), and favour a reputable, established brand over an unfamiliar one - a well-known brand's conservatively-rated 30C pack will usually outperform a bargain pack's inflated 60C claim in the situations that matter, like a long, hard run on a hot day.
Connector types on NZ shelves
Connectors matter because a battery and a car's ESC lead need to physically match, or need a compatible adaptor between them. Here's how to tell the common types apart at a glance:
- Deans (also called a T-plug): two flat rectangular gold prongs housed in a T-shaped plastic shell.
- XT60: a round, yellow-shelled bullet connector, widely used across newer LiPo packs from multiple brands.
- EC3 / EC5: round bullet connectors similar in concept to XT60 but a different physical size - EC5 is the larger of the two, used on higher-current packs.
- Traxxas iD: Traxxas's own connector, shaped so it only inserts one way, with a small chip that lets an iD-compatible charger auto-detect the pack's cell count and chemistry.
- Traxxas Non-iD: the older-style Traxxas bullet connector, still sold and supported alongside iD for owners of older packs and chargers.
- Tamiya connector: a simple two-pin block connector common on older or budget-friendly RTRs, and one of the easiest to find an adaptor for.
In our range, Deans tends to turn up more often on NiMH packs than on LiPo, where XT60 and EC-series connectors are more common - though Deans isn't inherently tied to one chemistry or the other, it's just how the current stock happens to skew. If you're not sure what your car takes, check the connector already on your car's ESC lead or existing battery rather than guessing from the car's brand alone.
Matching a battery to your car
Start from your car's manual: confirm the supported voltage/cell count, then check the connector on your car's ESC lead and your existing charger, since a battery can match the car but still need an adaptor to reach the charger. If a battery you want doesn't share the right connector, an adaptor lead is the simpler and safer route rather than cutting and re-soldering connectors yourself - adaptor leads covering most common combinations (XT60, EC3, EC5, Deans, Tamiya and more) are stocked, so there's rarely a genuine need to modify a battery's factory connector.
Worth knowing if a favourite pack is ever out of stock: LiPo batteries are classified as dangerous goods for shipping, which occasionally means longer lead times between shipments than a typical hobby product - not a sign anything's wrong with the range, just a logistics reality of the chemistry.
Browse our RC Batteries & Chargers range once you know your car's voltage, connector and rough capacity needs.
FAQs
Will a 3S make my car faster?
Yes, if your car's ESC and motor are rated for it - more voltage generally means more speed and stronger acceleration. It also runs hotter and puts more load on the drivetrain, so a 3S upgrade sometimes needs a gearing adjustment to avoid overheating the motor, and it's not worth attempting on a car that isn't rated for it in the first place.
What connector does Traxxas use?
Most current Traxxas models use their own 'iD' connector, which lets an iD-compatible charger auto-detect the pack. Older Traxxas packs and chargers use a Non-iD version of the same basic connector shape - both are still sold and supported, so check which one your specific car or charger takes rather than assuming.
Can I mix battery brands?
Yes, as long as the voltage, cell count and connector all match what your car and charger expect - brand alone doesn't usually cause a problem. The one thing to avoid is combining two different-brand packs in series to make up a higher voltage, since differing internal characteristics between packs can cause them to charge and discharge unevenly.
Ready to choose your next battery? Browse our RC Batteries & Chargers range, or read LiPo Battery Charging & Safety in full before your first LiPo charge. Questions? Message Us or visit us in Auckland.