Build Plan Check - 21700 12s5p / VESC MK6 IV / Maytech 170kV

ESK8 Electronics
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Hey everyone, I’m planning my first esk8 build and would love your advice and feedback on my electronics design.

Overview

Battery: 21700-40T 12s5p

BMS: wired for 40A charge and 130A discharge

ESC: dual VESC MK6 IV

Motors: dual Maytech 6365 170kV (65A)

Drivetrain: belt drive (12T motor / 72T wheel pulley)

Wheels: 8” pneumatic

Charger: 4A

Remote: Flipsky VX1 for VESC 6

Lighting: headlight and taillight wired into via buck converter (36W/light)

Wiring Plans

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Questions

  1. What wire gage do you all use? I’m seeing 8 AWG to 12 AWG seems to be frequently used. However from what I’ve seen this would not accommodate the amp draw from the motors/lights (approximately 265 [motors]+23[lighting] = 130A) as the 8 AWG is rated at 73A.

  2. Similar to 1: what connectors do you all use? I’ve seen most use XT90s (or in some cases XT60). However, it seems like these would not be adequate for the current they would be seeing. I found a higher rated connector: AS150 which is rated to 150A. Does anyone have experience with these?

  3. Does anyone have experience with a buck converter to power external lighting? I’ve seen a lot of posts recommending against wiring lights into the main power system as it introduces points of failure. Definitely understand and agree, but also a buck converter is a pretty straight forward piece of hardware to incorporate from what it seems. Am I missing something here?

  4. To be able to get the max amp draw from my battery ( ~130A defined by BMS discharge rating) I would need approximately 4 strips of 10mm wide 0.2mm thick nickel strip (130A/5p = 26A. 26A/7.9A = 3.29 =~ 4 strips). This seems like a lot of layers. Does anyone have any experience in spot welding so many layers of nickel together? What do you all use for conductors on a high current rated battery pack?

Thanks in advance! :slight_smile: