In the battery wires you’ll have to run more amps if running a lower voltage and want the same wattage. In the motor it’s all the same and just as hot and same amps needed. In the esc lower voltage is more eff but at full speed u have no switching losses so more efficient. So u could run more voltage n be less efficient when at reduced throttle vs lower voltage and full throttle. But that’s a real exception
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not needing as beafy of cables to achieve the same wattage when using higher voltage versus higher amperage…
Ok that came out wrong, what I meant to say was not that you won’t achieve the same wattage, but in order to be able to achieve the required wattage without significant voltage drop or creating too much heat and melting you insulation off of your cable you will need a beefier cable if you have high amps and low voltage versus high voltage and low amperage.
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Yes true, higher volts, less amps for the same power. So for the same power you don’t need as thick cables. Cable thickness is only related to amps, not power.
Think about it, 100V @ 1A = 100W, only need a thin cable. 1V @ 100A = 100W, but you need a very thick cable. In fact the cable needs to be 100^2/1 = 10000 times the area or more because of the lower surface area vs cross section.
so your telling me i can run 400v through a cable and i dont need thick cables?
Yes. Look at how thin the cables are for high voltage backlights in the back of TVs etc. Of course you need to have decent insulation at 400V but for 10s vs 12s the insulation requirements are not relevant.
haha was meant to be a joke but my apartment uses 8 guage copper wire, and all silicon wire is rated for 400v 
If you have heavy gauge wiring in your apartment, it is to handle CURRENT not voltage. Wire is not made from silicon. Not all SILICONE insulated cable is rated for 400V.
Sorry misworded that i was thinking of turnigy wire, but my apartments wires only claim to be up to 20a
Current rating for household wiring is completely different for ratings for skateboards and other hobby devices. Standards for household wiring are to prevent fires in walls and that kind of thing and so are extremely conservative.
not true, my apartments wire is starting to crack (its not silicon)
we use lower voltages and this was not the original topic (higher voltage = lower heat)
Haha, we digress…these are the types of conversations that makes my wife roll her eyes and leave …So should I hit the easy button and use Lipos or take the time to a build Li-ion pack? I save about 1.5 lbs with Li-ion, as heavy as this thing is already, I hardly think that will matter.
Only you can actually decide this. Depends what you are about, cost weight etc…
I have several boards 12s and 10s, I run focboxes and never had problems with electronics blowing because of 12s instead of 10s.
The 12s is more fun to ride, motors run cooler and the overall experience is much nicer, please hear me out go 12s you won’t regret it
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I am designing a board that will run on 11S. The gap where the 12th group would normally go will be ideal for the BMS, keeping the length down and maximising the battery pack.
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Thanks guys, I really appreciate all of the great input!!! I’ve come to a decision (for now 
) I will build a 12S LiPo pack. Now some quick research on minimum C rating I can get away with and a good BMS and this part of the project will be in the rear view mirror! Thanks Again!
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Go li-on , will last much longer
not if you buy the right ones
Does the esc not work the same as a variable frequency drive? Controls the voltage and frequency sent to the motor which gives a constant torque effect?
Yes, the ESC is a variable frequency drive, but it supports variable torque of course.