280Ah prismatic cell needs a new Name
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🔋 Calling All Battery Professionals — Help Us Rename the 280Ah Prismatic Cell! 🔋
The workhorse of the energy storage world—the so-called 280Ah prismatic cell—is overdue for a new name.
If you’ve built a battery lately, chances are good you’ve used this exact cell. It’s the backbone of most DIY and commercial systems today. But here’s the thing: it's no longer just a 280Ah cell.
Why "280Ah" No Longer Fits
With ongoing improvements in energy density, today’s “280Ah” prismatic cells are shipping with actual capacities of 285Ah to 320Ah, depending on the grade. Yet we’re still referring to them by a capacity that’s quickly becoming outdated.
Unlike cylindrical cells—which follow clean dimension-based naming conventions like 18650 or 21700—prismatic cells have no such system. Their dimensions are around 71x174x207mm, with 123mm terminal spacing (center to center). But we don’t have a simple, consistent way to talk about them. And that’s a problem—for engineers, DIYers, and manufacturers alike.
Time for a Better Name
Let’s fix that.
We’re crowdsourcing a naming convention for this industry-standard prismatic cell format. The goal is to make it:
- ✅ Easy to recognize
- ✅ Reflective of both physical size and capacity class
- ✅ Future-proof for cells ranging from 280Ah to 320Ah
Think of it like P1721 — a shorthand that could refer to Prismatic / 71x174x207 / ~280–320Ah class. We’re not sold on that name yet—but we’re starting the conversation.
Your Turn: What Should We Call It?
Have a better idea? We want to hear it.
Post your suggestion in the comments or email us directly. Whether you’re a battery pack builder, a BMS designer, or just neck-deep in your first DIY solar build—we’re all in this space together.
Let’s give this cell the name it deserves.
👀 Want to see how we use these cells in real builds?
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