Battery Freshness

Batteries and Chargers Rechargeable Batteries
1

Some discussion of date codes has me wondering:

Are there any guidelines, or preferences with regard to the freshness of Li-ion cells?

Of course, the fresher the better, but what is considered acceptable, and what isn’t?

As an example, in their supply chain, car batteries can reach store shelves in as little as a month, with some beliefs that they can sit their for six months with not a worry, but twelves months not so much. There are maintenance procedures that retailers are supposed to follow to keep them charged while they sit on shelves, but few probably do, so either a high-turnover location, or a keen eye are advisable.

New tires can be subject to the same questions, but they are more highly debated and with no finite conclusions. But, proper storage is an essential factor, and the overriding preference again is the fresher the better.

What, if any, thoughts apply to the battery cells that we use for lights? Li chemistry is going to have longer and better stability than a lead-acid car battery, but to what extent?

The last cell I obtained was made more than 20 months ago. I’m not concerned about it, or its performance, but the length of the supply chain did surprise me.

2

I always assumed if stored properly it would be about number of charge cycles for lithium cells for health, like never store a fully charged cell if its going long term etc. Generally cells are sold with roughly 50%~ charge for safety and longevity of the product.

3

That thing is terrifying.

I guess I better comment on topic:
My understanding is Li-ion cells have an excellent shelf life, and, practically speaking, you just wouldn’t notice any performance difference between new cells that were a few years old (so long as their SoC remained above 2.5V) or cells hot from the factory that were 3 weeks old.