Japanese Vs Chinese Eneloop Cycle Testing Results

[Jash]

Thanks guys. I'll pick up a 4 pack today and give them a go. The package says good for 500 charge cycles and 70% after 1 year in storage. Nowhere near the 1,800 cycles of the last Eneloops I bought, but still, charging them once a week takes them well beyond the five year life inferred to ni-mh cells.

Still might order a bulk lot of Japanese Eneloops from America before the year is out. Exchange rate is pretty steep at the moment. Used to work out to be cheaper, but not anymore. However I can't find any 4th gen, Japanese Eneloops in Australia, so...

 

[G166H]

null.

 

[Behemot]

I've been just noted about this situation. If you are indeed low on japanese accumulators in there Australia and even that what you have is expensive crap (which is as long as I checked couple months ago), I can supply ya. Just have ppl returning there in near weeks and months so if you'd be interested, lets start a thread and get something going on.

It's been also posted in that older thread.

 

[longsi0008]

Like to have some feedback:

One of my Made in Japan Eneloop leaked and Panasonic HQ was willing to do an exchange of the whole set of 8 batteries. After I collected it, I realised they exchanged it with a set of 8 Made in China Eneloop. Since the exchange was free, and I have used the former for about 20 cycles, should I be upset over it?

The former was produced in March 2015 (holds 70% after 10 years) while the newer was made in September 2015 (holds 70% after 5 years).

 

[Liber8]

Is there any word on why Fujitsu isn't making this bold 10 year claim? My guess is its due to some legal mumbo jumbo in their agreement with Panasonic or Fujitsu just hasn't been able to keep cells around for 10 years to test them.

 

[xxo]

Like to have some feedback:

One of my Made in Japan Eneloop leaked and Panasonic HQ was willing to do an exchange of the whole set of 8 batteries. After I collected it, I realised they exchanged it with a set of 8 Made in China Eneloop. Since the exchange was free, and I have used the former for about 20 cycles, should I be upset over it?

The former was produced in March 2015 (holds 70% after 10 years) while the newer was made in September 2015 (holds 70% after 5 years).

Personally, I would let them know that I would prefer the Japanese eneloops.....if they wanted to know why, I would send them a link to this thread.....but that's just me, most people probably don't care all that much.

 

[stephenk]

Thankfully IKEA have now saved Australians by selling their own version of the FDK Eneloop Pros.

 

[CelticCross74]

no competition for China? China is a paper tiger ....slave labor can only do so much

 

[parametrek]

Power Me Up, do you want to try to test the self-discharge rates for the Chinese vs Japanese cells?

You don't have to wait five years and then measure the cells. Panasonic certainly doesn't actually take five years to do their tests. Most chemical reactions and aging processes are accelerated with heat. The rule of thumb is twice the aging for every 10C hotter. NiMH self-discharge is also accelerated by heat but I don't know how close to the rule of thumb it is.

Anyway if you make a low temperature oven and bake the batteries in it for a few months, it should be equivalent to several years worth of aging. Panasonic and other manufactures probably have a building of PhDs to calibrate it exactly, but for a simple comparison that isn't required. As long as the two sets of cells are both in the oven at the same time, they'll experience the same heat profile.

And by oven I mean something like a DIY chick-rearing box, basically a very small heating element and a thermostat. According to the rule of thumb, 4.5 months in a 60C box should age the batteries by three years. It might actually be faster to do the aging test than the recharge cycles test

 

[longsi0008]

Hey guys, after switching to Chinese Made Eneloops, I felt my TK41 Turbo and EA81 Turbo are now dimmer. All along I thought they were driven by circuit. Am I just imagining things?

 

[angerdan]

Any news in 2017 for this topic?

 

[dabotsonline]

How do the eneloop PRO cells for the European market, manufactured in Belgium and Poland, compare to the Japanese and Chinese ones?

Please see pages 11 and 23 in the 'Catalogue 2017-2018':

http://main.panasonic-eneloop.eu/sites/default/files/Catalogue_eneloop_ENG_2017_DEF_LR.pdf

 

[bmstrong]

How do the eneloop PRO cells for the European market, manufactured in Belgium and Poland, compare to the Japanese and Chinese ones?

Please see pages 11 and 23 in the 'Catalogue 2017-2018':

http://main.panasonic-eneloop.eu/sites/default/files/Catalogue_eneloop_ENG_2017_DEF_LR.pdf

That was pretty neat. Thanks.

 

[ChibiM]

How do the eneloop PRO cells for the European market, manufactured in Belgium and Poland, compare to the Japanese and Chinese ones?

Please see pages 11 and 23 in the 'Catalogue 2017-2018':

http://main.panasonic-eneloop.eu/sites/default/files/Catalogue_eneloop_ENG_2017_DEF_LR.pdf

Manufactured in Belgium and Poland?
Don't think so

Dont know why to put it in the brochure, but they arent manufactured in Poland nor Belgium.
This is what it says: In-house production of zinc-carbon batteries (sizesR03, R6, R14, R20) and LR6 alkaline batteries,packing of eneloop and other batteries.
And in Belgium: In-house production of batteries, starting from thecreation of the battery can, to labeling of finishedproducts, packing, and automatic palletization.

Eneloops might be labeled/packed in Belgium, but not produced. Other kinds of Panasonic batteries are produced in Europe, but not eneloop.
You can see on the package of eneloops sold in Europe, the biggest address is from Panasonic Energy Europe NV, Belgium, and Made in Japan.