Every year, importers around the world lose money buying batteries that don’t perform as promised. Here are the 47 questions you must answer before placing a battery order.
Specifications (Questions 1-12)
- 1. What exact model number, and which international or Chinese standards does it meet (GB/T, IEC, EN)?
- 2. What is the rated capacity at 20°C, and at what discharge rate was this measured?
- 3. What are exact dimensions in mm, and exact weight in kg?
- 4. What is the rated cycle life, and at what depth of discharge (DOD) is this measured?
- 5. What are the maximum continuous discharge current and recommended charging parameters?
- 6. What are the operating temperature ranges for discharge and charge?
- 7. What is the self-discharge rate per month at 25°C and 40°C?
- 8. What terminal type — lead, copper-embedded, or Anderson connector?
- 9. What is the case material IP rating?
- 10. What are the 100% DOD and 80% DOD cycle life ratings specifically?
- 11. What alloy composition — specifically, cadmium, arsenic, or antimony content?
- 12. What is the charge retention after 30 days at 25°C?
Quality and Manufacturing (Questions 13-25)
- 13. Can you provide third-party test reports from TÜV, SGS, or equivalent?
- 14. What quality and environmental management systems is the factory certified under?
- 15. What is your UN38.3 transport test certification status?
- 16. What is your defect rate at outgoing quality control, and how is this measured?
- 17. Do you conduct formation charging at the factory before shipment?
- 18. What is your production lead time from order confirmation to shipment ready?
- 19. What is your maximum production capacity per month for this model?
- 20. Do you offer private label / OEM branding on the battery label?
- 21. Do you have R&D partnerships with academic institutions?
- 22. What patents do you hold related to this battery technology?
- 23. Can you provide samples for pre-shipment inspection?
- 24. What is your track record on defect rates in my target market?
- 25. Have you exported to my target market before, and can you provide references?
Commercial Terms (Questions 26-38)
- 26. FOB and CIF pricing for my target port?
- 27. Payment terms: T/T, L/C, or DP?
- 28. Warranty policy: what does it cover, what does it exclude, and how are claims handled?
- 29. What documentation is provided with each shipment (CO, CI, PL, BL)?
- 30. Can you provide MSDS for each battery and Certificate of Origin?
- 31. What is your policy on short shipments or quality disputes?
- 32. Minimum order quantity and volume discount tiers?
- 33. Do you have exclusivity arrangements in my target market?
- 34. Do you offer technical support in my language for my customers?
Market-Specific (Questions 35-47)
- 35. Which certifications do you hold for my target import country?
- 36. Do you have experience with my country’s import labeling requirements?
- 37. Can you provide batteries with country-specific marks: BIS (India), SIRIM (Malaysia), SABS (South Africa), SASO (Saudi Arabia)?
- 38. Have you had any battery transport incidents or customs holds in the past 3 years?
A supplier who can answer all 47 questions clearly — with documentation — is a supplier you can trust. One who deflects, gives vague answers, or refuses to provide test reports should be avoided.