Bosch 6.0 AH Batteries Have Been Announced for the European Market, But What Does That Mean for the US?
Didn’t we hit 3.0 amp hour batteries last week? That’s what it feels like, but Europe is anxiously awaiting the Bosch 6.0 ah battery to show up on (and presumably fly off of) store shelves. Of course, battery amp hours are a linear function, so all other things being equal, 6.0 ah will get you 20% more run time than 5.0 ah and 50% more run time than 4.0 ah. Once again, users will see CoolPack technology built in to the design. This housing design promises to double the lifespan of the battery.
The new Bosch 6.0 ah battery will weigh in at about 1.4 pounds, which is only slightly more than what the 5.0’s weigh. The dimensions are also expected to be identical to all of the recent Fat Pack batteries. The big difference will be price. Europeans are expecting to pay 185 Euros for each battery, which is 25 Euros more than what the 5.0’s launched at. Depending on how you look at that price difference, it should translate to $20 – $30 more per battery once we see them. The 5.0’s currently retail for $129. You can purchase one here.
The new battery will only be for the 18V lineup, but there is a new charger in the works as well. Bosch’s European site is telling us that the GAL 3680 CV charger will cut charging time in half. This means that these new Bosch 6.0 ah battery should go through a full charge cycle in under an hour. It will also charge other Li-ion batteries in the Bosch family from 14.4V through the 36V behemoths.
Aside from the elephant in the room that question when the US sees the new Bosch 6.0 ah battery arrive, we’d also like to know if they will come out Wireless Power Ready compatible models. Since we haven’t caught wind of the 5.0’s going wireless, we won’t hold our breath on that one. According to the press release, Europe will be seeing 6’s in January 2015. It was only a matter of weeks between the European and US launches of the 5.0 ah battery. If we cross our fingers and toes, count to ten backwards in Hebrew, and fly toward the second star on the right until morning, maybe we’ll be right behind them.
