Short answer: the Renogy Core Mini 300Ah is a big 12V lithium battery in a small, light box, and per amp-hour it's the cheapest 12V lithium battery we sell. It's what we run in our own van (three of them). It doesn't have self-heating, so it won't charge below 0°C, and you'll want a shunt to see what it's doing. If those two don't bother you, it's very hard to beat for the money.
Stock moves around with these, so check the listing or ask us before you count on a delivery date.
What do you get?
Renogy's own figures for the Core Mini 300Ah:
| Renogy's figure | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 300 Ah (at 0.5C, 25°C), 3840 Wh |
| Cycle life | 5000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge |
| Continuous charge current | 150 A max |
| Continuous discharge current | 200 A max, 380 A peak for 10 seconds |
| Charging temperature | 0°C to 60°C (a low-temperature cut-off stops charging below that) |
| Discharging temperature | -20°C to 65°C |
| Size | 384 x 194 x 253 mm |
| Weight | 25 kg |
| Terminals | M8 |
| Protection | IP65 |
| Warranty | 5 years, prorated |
Renogy say it fits 8D and 4D battery boxes, and that you can run up to four in series and four in parallel.
Why is it good value?
When we wrote this, it worked out cheapest per amp-hour of all 41 single 12V lithium batteries on our store, and well ahead of the other 300 Ah options. Here are a few of them so you can do the sums at today's prices:
| Battery | Price |
|---|---|
| Renogy Core Mini 300Ah | $884.95 |
| Exotronic Apex IP67 300Ah | $1,594.95 |
| Victron NG 300Ah | $2,129.95 |
The dearer ones aren't dearer for nothing: built-in Bluetooth, different warranties, CAN-bus options, self-heating on some. But if you want the most amp-hours for your dollar, this is it.
What should you keep in mind?
- It won't charge in the freezing cold. Renogy rate charging from 0°C. Below that the BMS stops it charging, which protects the cells, but it means a frosty morning in the high country can pause your solar. If you camp in real cold, look at a self-heating battery instead. Our lithium vs AGM guide covers cold-weather charging.
- Plan your monitoring. Renogy list it as working with their 300A battery shunt. Whatever brand you use, a shunt is the way to know your real state of charge; our battery monitor guide explains why.
- 300 Ah is a lot. That's great for full-time travel or big loads, and more than a weekend fridge needs. Do the sums in our sizing guide first.
- Fuse it and cable it for what it can deliver. 200 A continuous is serious current; our fusing guide and cable sizing guide cover it.
Smaller sizes
The Core Mini also comes in 200Ah ($644.95) and 100Ah ($449.95). All of our batteries are in one place if you want to compare.