Bosch EXPERT Starter Kit 3x EXBA18V-80 + EXAL18V-160, 18 V, 8.0 Ah, 0615V0005R

Bosch EXPERT Starter Kit 3x EXBA18V-80 + EXAL18V-160, 18 V, 8.0 Ah

0615V0005R is a factory starter kit from Bosch Professional, EXPERT line, containing three EXBA18V-80 rechargeable batteries (18 V, 8.0 Ah each) and one EXAL18V-160 ultra-fast charger with a 16 A charging current. This is an energy pack, not a machine - there is no tool in the box. You buy it when you already own machines on the Bosch Professional 18 V platform and need power for a full working day. Total capacity is 3 x 8.0 Ah. Bosch sells it as a promotional Starter-Set at a reduced package price.

What this kit is for

Three batteries and one very fast charger solve one specific problem: work stopping because a battery is flat. The routine is simple - one battery in the machine, one waiting ready, one on the charger. Since the EXAL18V-160 fills 8.0 Ah in 39 minutes, charging outruns consumption on most jobs and the rotation never breaks.

The kit pays off for crews working away from a socket, for machines that drain current far faster than screwdrivers - angle grinders, circular saws, rotary hammers, impact wrenches - and for teams sharing a pool of batteries. For a single machine used half an hour a week, one battery and an ordinary charger is the more sensible choice.

The EXBA18V-80 battery: 8.0 Ah and cells without tabs

The EXBA18V-80 (Bosch order number 1600A036ZB) is a HIGH POWER class battery in the EXPERT line. The manufacturer quotes up to 2400 W maximum power - an internal lab figure, an instantaneous peak with a fully charged new pack. Weight is 1.035 kg, dimensions 80 x 121 x 73 mm.

The cells are tabless, without the usual current-collecting tabs: contact runs across the full width of the winding and the current has many parallel paths instead of two narrow bottlenecks. Lower internal resistance means less energy lost as heat and steadier power under load. Bosch quotes up to 120% more runtime than a GBA 18V 4.0Ah battery (internal test). The housing is reinforced, heat management is handled by COOLPACK 2.0, and a 5-LED indicator shows the remaining charge and signals a detected defect risk.

The EXAL18V-160 charger: 16 A and a full charge in 39 minutes

The EXAL18V-160 (order number 1600A03D3A) is an ultra-fast charger with a 16 A charging current and a battery charging voltage of 14.4 - 18 V. It weighs 0.85 kg. The headline figure is this: an EXBA18V-80 battery charges from 0 to 100% in 39 minutes. For comparison, Bosch states that the same battery on a GAL 18V-40 charger takes 124 minutes - over two hours against under forty.

There are three modes: Standard for everyday work, Power Boost for the fastest possible full charge, and Long Life - a gentler charge that according to Bosch can extend battery life. Active Air Cooling 2.0 cools the battery while charging, so a hot pack starts filling sooner instead of waiting to cool down by itself. FlexTemp Charging widens the range for EXPERT batteries to -10 °C to +55 °C battery temperature - it charges frozen packs too, which on a winter site is not a small detail.

The charger has one bay - Bosch's operating instructions for the EXAL18V-160 list a single charging bay among its components. The three batteries therefore charge one after another rather than at once; the manufacturer quotes charging times "per battery". For charging two in parallel there is the other model in the line - the EXAL18V2-320.

Compatibility: Bosch Professional 18 V and AMPShare

EXBA18V batteries work in the Bosch Professional 18 V system, and the EXAL18V-160 charger serves the whole EXPERT family - EXBA18V-40, EXBA18V-55, EXBA18V-80 and EXBA18V-150. Bosch lists over 430 tools compatible with the 18 V system and with partner brands from the AMPShare battery alliance (not all are available in every country).

How it differs from kit 0615V0005X

The two kits are described identically - "three EXPERT batteries plus a charger" - which is exactly why they get confused. The difference is in two things:

In short: here both the capacity and the charging current are double.

Technical specifications

What is in the kit

• Bosch EXPERT EXBA18V-80 rechargeable battery, 18 V / 8.0 Ah - 3 pcs
• Bosch EXPERT EXAL18V-160 ultra-fast charger, 16 A - 1 pc
• NO machine - the kit is batteries and a charger only
• NO case - the item comes in a cardboard box, 260 x 290 x 95 mm
• The tools in the photographs are for illustration only and are not included

Working tips

• Keep the rotation alive: the moment you take off a flat battery, put it on the charger. At 39 minutes each, all three full charges take about two hours.
• Long Life makes sense when the battery will sit charged until the next day; save Power Boost for the moments when you are genuinely waiting on the charger.
• An 8.0 Ah battery weighs 1.035 kg - 0.43 kg more than the 4.0 Ah version. On a light screwdriver held overhead you feel it; on an angle grinder or circular saw you hardly do.
• Keep the contacts clean and dry - concrete dust on the rails of the mount is the most common reason for "the battery is not recognised".

Questions and answers