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This is for a battle robot in the hobby-weight class (5.44 Kg max)

I want to drive the robot using 2 cordless drill motors rated at 14.4 volts. I have 4S LIPOs which means I have 4 x 3.7 volts or 14.8 volts. So far so good.

The problem is that I bought 2 ESCs and only afterwards noticed that they are rated for 2-3S (or max of 11.1 volts).

So my question is am I likely to damage the ESC if I use my 4S LIPOs instead of 3S LIPOs?

Or should I just buy 3S LIPOs and live with the reduced performance?

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Well over voltage at an ESC usually results in an instant magic smoke. I would never recommend this.

If you have enough reserve power you can use the 3S version. If you are not sure or do not have enough power reserve then you should buy 4s ESCs.

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  • $\begingroup$ I decided to order new controllers rated for up to 16 volts and 320 Amps. These even have fans to keep them cool. They are more expensive and may be overkill for the application but at least they should not let me down when it matters! And I can now use my 4S LIPOs. $\endgroup$
    – Galahad II
    Commented Oct 3, 2014 at 10:53

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