How to Identify if an 18650 Battery is a Power Battery

[PeterFitz]

Methods to determine if an 18650 battery is a power battery: Conduct a high-current discharge test. If sparks are produced when short-circuited using the current range of a multimeter, it is a power battery. Power cells have half the internal resistance of regular cells. A brand-new imported regular cell typically has an internal resistance of 35 to 50 ohms. The lower the internal resistance, the higher the discharge current, and vice versa. Therefore, power cells can sustain high-current discharge for extended periods, whereas regular cells may overheat, burn out, or even explode under prolonged high-current discharge. Consumer-grade batteries and automotive power batteries are different; aside from size specifications, there is minimal compatibility in performance. Hence, consumer-grade and power batteries cannot be used interchangeably. Tesla vehicles, for example, use Panasonic's 18650 batteries with NCA cathode materials.