› Venom Drive Batteries with Universal 2.0 Plug

The fits-all battery solution you’ve been waiting for

As we all know, any batterybuying decision has to include getting the correct plug, which has led many of us to wish there could be just one plug that every brand uses. Well, that’s not gonna happen, but Venom’s got the next best thing with its Drive battery line and the Universal 2.0 Plug System. As long as your car or truck is equipped with an XT60, Deans, EC3, or Traxxas connector, any Drive battery will plug right in. Here’s how it works.

PLUGGING IN

All the Drive batteries are equipped an Amass XT60 plug (or to be more specific, the latest and improved XT60H-F plug). If your vehicle or charger has an XT60 plug, you’re good to go. If not, just slip on one of the included adapter plugs. These fit tightly, assuring an electrically efficient connection between the gold-plated contacts. Then, you just plug the pack into your car or charger like normal, and you’re ready for action. The adapter plug does introduce two additional contact points into the circuit, which must increase electrical resistance to some infinitesimal degree, but not in any way that I could detect in unusual plug heating or in loss of performance or run time. Compared to soldering up your own adapter with two plugs and wire, the Uni 2.0 plugs are “invisible” in terms of meaningful electrical resistance.

LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

As with any warranty for anything, damage to your Venom pack due to misuse or neglect is on you. But otherwise, Venom backs the Drive batteries against defects in materials or workmanship for the life of the pack. If your battery has a materials or workmanship issue in the first year of use, Venom will repair or replace the battery. If there’s an issue after one year, Venom will issue you a credit equal to 30 percent of the pack’s retail price (as shown at venompower.com) toward the purchase of a new Venom pack of the same type (or close, if the same battery is no longer offered).

TESTING

I used Drive 5000mah hard- and soft-case Lipos in the Gmade BOM reviewed in this issue as well as a Losi 22 ST (which you’ll see next issue) and a Team Associated Trophy Rat. These models use Deans (or “Deans-style”) and EC3 connectors, and the adapter plugs fit tightly and did not come loose under hard driving. Nor did I notice any unusual heating of the plugs or wires; it’s just like running a “regular” battery. But unlike a regular battery, I was able to take the Drive pack out of the Ec3-equipped Losi and put it into the Deans-equipped Team Associated. Nice. I tested the Traxxas adapters in a TRX-4, and both styles of Venom adapter fit well and worked properly, although Venom notes you may find one style works better than another for your specific car. It goes without saying that the batteries themselves performed well. Venom’s been a popular battery brand for a long time.

The Uni 2.0 plugs allow Drive batteries to plug into Traxxas, Deans, and EC3 connectors. The “base plug” is an Amass XT60. The 2.0 adapters simply fit over the XT60 plug.

Venom’s Drive batteries are available in hard- and soft-case Lipo styles, as well as NIMH packs.

Venom’s “soft” Lipos have metal “Flak Jacket” plates under the shrink wrap to protect the cells.

The Uni 2.0 plug system takes up a little more room than standard plugs, but fit shouldn’t be an issue in most vehicles. Here’s a Drive pack in a Losi 22S ST.