Photo nerds: Who is sick of having electronic flash units destroyed by leaking alkaline batteries? But who is also sick of paying big $$ for lithium AA batteries? You can buy 8 batteries on Amazon for $13.75. That’s $1.72 per battery, about half the price compared to 15 years ago? A 24-pack of same-brand alkaline batteries, however, is just $9.59, or 40 cents per battery.
I think that rechargeable lithium batteries have gotten cheaper much faster. If we can have a Tesla (3) in every driveway why haven’t leak-prone not-very-power-dense alkaline batteries disappeared in favor of sub-$1 lithium disposables?
Why are you still using disposable batteries instead of Eneloop Pros?
Mental illness. Bipolar patients are eating all the lithium.
But seriously, get some rechargeable s like Fazal said and keep a rotation.
My original question remains unanswered… why aren’t these batteries falling in price like the alkalines? Rechargeable batteries presumably have their place but if they were the complete solution to all needs then I wouldn’t expect to see alkalines in every store.
Lithium is not a very common element in the universe and although it is present in the Earth’s crust in larger amounts, it is difficult to find suitable sources that it can be refined from.
Lithium is also used extensively in chemical synthesis as a reagent or component of reagents and is often not recycled. If anything, suitable sources of lithium are running out.
Helium is another element in a similar situation. Read about Helium, it will make you feel better about lithium…
Rechargeable 18650 cells, which I think are the ones used in a Tesla and in Laptop batteries, still go for quite a bit more than the disposable lithium cells you link to, even when you look up bulk prices on Chinese discount sites.
And the AA-compatible ones can’t be just lithium cells … they probably contain a diode or something to bring the output voltage back to the 1.5V that your flashes expect. Which probably increases the price of assembly a bit.
Your question basically is “the costs of item A have dropped rapidly, why aren’t the prices of related but different technology B, which targets a completely different market and is not in high demand, dropped proportionately?”
I looked on Wikipedia which indicates that the 3V button cells use Li-MnO2 chemistry, while the 1.5V AA cells use Li-FeS2 chemistry (not diodes!)
As michiel indicates, there are a number of different chemistries (different supply and demand for each), and the completely Li-ion rechargeables are in a completely different category..
+1 for Eneloops. They hold a charge reasonably well (something like 70% power after a year). I’ve never had them leak.
even when you look up bulk prices on Chinese discount sites….
Most of the 18650s that are sold cheap don’t have a charging capacity that is anywhere near the stated amount. Those “too good to be true” prices are in fact too good to be true.
Alkaline batteries are a waste of money compared to rechargable Li-ion, but disposable Li batteries are still clear winners: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/primary_batteries
They are expensive because they are the best; market prices are driven by rechargables.