Table
Battery Cable Voltage Drop for 12/24/48 V DC
Battery Cable Voltage Drop for 12/24/48 V DC reference with assumptions and boundary notes.
Reference boundary
Preliminary battery-cable voltage-drop arithmetic only. It does not choose fuse size, ampacity, thermal limits, or battery safety approvals.
Reference table
Estimate DC battery-cable voltage drop by current, one-way length, and copper conductor size.
| Copper size | Area (mm2) | V drop at 100 A, 1 m | 12 V percent | 24 V percent | 48 V percent | Scale note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 AWG | 5.26 | 0.656 | 5.46 | 2.73 | 1.37 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 8 AWG | 8.37 | 0.412 | 3.43 | 1.72 | 0.86 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 6 AWG | 13.3 | 0.259 | 2.16 | 1.08 | 0.54 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 4 AWG | 21.2 | 0.163 | 1.36 | 0.68 | 0.34 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 2 AWG | 33.6 | 0.103 | 0.86 | 0.43 | 0.21 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 1/0 AWG | 53.5 | 0.064 | 0.54 | 0.27 | 0.13 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 2/0 AWG | 67.4 | 0.051 | 0.43 | 0.21 | 0.11 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 4/0 AWG | 107.2 | 0.032 | 0.27 | 0.13 | 0.07 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 250 kcmil | 126.7 | 0.027 | 0.23 | 0.11 | 0.06 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 350 kcmil | 177.3 | 0.019 | 0.16 | 0.08 | 0.04 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
| 500 kcmil | 253.4 | 0.014 | 0.11 | 0.06 | 0.03 | Scale linearly by current and one-way length |
Use notes
- Use this table for preliminary reference and arithmetic checks only.
- Confirm equipment ratings, product markings, installation conditions, utility requirements, and the local authority requirements before design or field use.