Anyone else finding Fogstar Drift cells harder to source lately?

Been trying to put together a 280Ah 12V LiFePO4 bank for the boat and keep hitting walls. Fogstar's Drift cells were top of my list after seeing so many builds on here using them, but stock seems to disappear the moment it appears. Is this just a seasonal thing or has something changed with their supply chain?

Currently running an ageing 200Ah AGM setup with a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 doing the heavy lifting, and honestly it's struggling to keep up with the fridge and general living loads over a full weekend. Switching to lithium feels like the obvious move but only if I can actually get the cells.

Has anyone gone down the route of buying from somewhere like PylonTech or picking up grade B cells from AliExpress instead? Bit nervous about the quality lottery on the latter, especially for a marine setup where reliability really matters. What are people actually doing right now when Fogstar's out of stock — is there a decent UK alternative I'm missing?

FinnRobinson | 847 posts

@ForestDweller Yeah, stock availability has been genuinely patchy over the last few months - I think demand has just outstripped what they can move through. Worth signing up for their restock notification though, they do come back in fairly regularly.

That said, for a boat build you might want to consider EVE cells from Fogstar's own bulk listings, or have a look at CATL cells through Fogstar's alternatives. BatteryHookup sometimes ships to the UK too though postage stings a bit.

One thing I'd say - don't rush into a cheaper unknown brand just because you're frustrated with the wait. For a marine environment especially, cell quality and consistent capacity really does matter. The Drift cells have a solid reputation for a reason.

What configuration are you planning, 8S? Happy to help work through the build if so.

Yeah @ForestDweller, noticed the same thing recently. Fogstar seem to go in and out of stock pretty unpredictably - worth signing up for their restock notifications if you haven't already, they do sell out fast when cells come in.

For a 280Ah 12V bank you'd be looking at eight cells in a 4S2P arrangement, so not a massive order - might be worth checking if any members here have spare cells from their own builds going spare. There's occasionally stuff in the classifieds.

EVE cells from Docan or similar UK importers are worth considering as an alternative if you're stuck waiting. Similar specs, well documented, and plenty of build threads here using them. Just make sure you're sourcing genuine Grade A cells with proper test data.

What's the application - mostly static battery bank or will it see movement underway?

T6Dream | 312 posts

@ForestDweller Have you looked at EVE cells direct from one of the UK importers like Docan or NKON? The EVE LF280K cells are essentially what a lot of these branded packs are built around anyway, and you can often get consistent stock at a decent price per cell. Worth joining the Facebook group "LiFePO4 Battery Builders UK" as people post when stock lands and share group buys occasionally. For a 280Ah 12V bank you'd need 4 cells in series, so not a massive order - might make a group buy more feasible. Only thing I'd flag is grade your cells carefully when they arrive and do a proper capacity test before building. What's your budget looking like per cell roughly?

WD40Wizard | 234 posts

Worth looking at EVE cells directly through Docan or AliExpress if you're comfortable with that route — same cells essentially, just without the Fogstar grading. Done two static caravan builds this way and saved a fair bit.

Alternatively, Fogstar Drift 304Ah cells occasionally appear in stock when the 280Ah are gone — oversized slightly for a boat but worth considering depending on your space constraints.

One thing I'd flag: if you're going the direct import route, get a proper capacity test rig sorted before building your pack. Had one batch where a couple of cells were noticeably off spec. Nothing catastrophic but you want to catch that before balancing and boxing everything up.

Pylontech prebuilt batteries are another option if the DIY cell sourcing becomes too much of a headache — not the cheapest but they're readily available and pair nicely with Victron kit.