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The cells need to charge whether they're in series or parallel. The efficiency they can absorb charge at high speeds without heating up is not primarily determined by how they're wired. You could wire 5,000 cells in series, charge them with 20kv at 4 amps, or wire them all in parallel, and charge with 4 volts at 20 ka. Each cell will produce the same amount of heat either way, they only charge with about 95% efficiency. Higher voltage doesn't really reduce the need for active cooling if you want to keep the cells under 40-50C.

Energy loss though resistance in the pack's internal wiring is likely a lot less than the loss due to the chemistry not being 100% efficient at absorbing (or delivering) charge without heating up. But it does allow for thinner wires to get max power out of the battery.




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