DeWalt is bringing tabless lithium-ion cell technology to its 60V MAX FlexVolt platform for the first time. A new FlexVolt 12Ah battery with tabless cells is expected to arrive this summer, according to ToolGuyd’s coverage of a Home Depot dealer event where DeWalt made the announcement.
If you’ve ever felt like your FlexVolt 12Ah doesn’t perform as well as the 9Ah under heavy load — you weren’t imagining it. Tabless cells are the fix.
Why the Current 12Ah Has a Problem
DeWalt’s existing DCB612 FlexVolt 12Ah battery delivers excellent runtime but produces less peak power than the 9Ah battery. That’s a counterintuitive quirk: the bigger battery underperforms on power-intensive tasks like ripping hardwood on a table saw or making cross cuts through green framing lumber.
The culprit is the cell design. Standard cylindrical Li-ion cells have metal tabs connecting to each electrode. Under high current draw, those tabs create resistance that limits power delivery. Tabless cells route current through the full electrode surface instead, slashing internal resistance.
What the New Battery Brings
- Platform: 20V/60V MAX FlexVolt — works in all existing FlexVolt tools
- Capacity: 12Ah (same as current DCB612)
- Cell type: Tabless Li-ion (same tech as the 20V XR 8Ah battery)
- Branding: No new sub-brand — still called “12Ah”
- Compatibility: Backward-compatible with all FlexVolt chargers and tools
- Price: Not yet confirmed
- Availability: Summer 2026
DeWalt is keeping the naming simple — no “PowerPack XR” or any other sub-brand. After the recent renaming of the 20V MAX battery lineup, restraint here makes sense.
The Bigger Picture
Milwaukee brought tabless cells to the M18 REDLITHIUM platform years ago. Makita followed with its 40V XGT Expert series. DeWalt has already applied tabless cells to the 20V MAX 8Ah. The FlexVolt 60V platform was the last holdout — and the one where peak power matters most, since it runs the brand’s heaviest tools: cordless table saws, 12-inch miter saws, reciprocating saws, and framing nailers.
For a full breakdown of where each platform stands on battery technology heading into 2026, see our battery platform comparison. Our guide to battery cell technology also covers exactly what tabless cells do — and why it matters more for high-draw tools than for drills and drivers.
No ASIN is confirmed yet. When the new 12Ah reaches retail this summer, it will replace the current DCB612 on DeWalt’s FlexVolt lineup. If you need 12Ah capacity before then, the existing DCB612 is available now — check manufacturer specs for current pricing.
Source: ToolGuyd — DeWalt is Launching a Tabless FlexVolt Battery in 2026
