🔋 C-rating
A LiPo's safe continuous discharge rate, as a multiple of its capacity.
Max amps ≈ (capacity in Ah) × C. A 5000mAh 50C pack can safely deliver ~250A. Higher C = more punch and less voltage sag.
What it actually does
The C-rating is the pack manufacturer's claim about how much current it can deliver continuously, expressed as a multiple of its capacity. It matters because a pack that cannot supply the current your motor demands will sag in voltage, run hot, and feel gutless — and heat is what kills LiPo packs.
In practice
Multiply capacity in amp-hours by the C number to get the claimed continuous current. A 5000mAh (5Ah) pack rated 50C claims 250A continuous. Treat these figures as marketing rather than measurement — C-ratings are not independently standardised, and two packs with the same printed number can behave very differently.
Worth knowing
The honest test is temperature. If a pack comes off a run hot rather than warm, it is being asked for more than it comfortably delivers — either the C-rating was optimistic or the gearing is too aggressive.