li-po in hard case

[RC-Monster Mike]

Well, anything can be damaged. The plastic is pretty thin, and would flex with a bloated cell for sure. I still think it offers a nice layer of direct protection for impact and flying rocks thrown by the spinning front tires, for example. Also, there is no chance of a small sharp stone lodging itself between the cells to cause future damage. I do get your point, but IMO, the Kokam cells are not likely to have problems, and the case/plastic packaging of the Orion batteries is a benefit. For one, they are shaped like a rectangular cube, whick makes holding them an easy affair. The fit damn near perfectly in place of a 6 cell pack, which is another nice feature.
The packs are rated for 70+ continuous amps, with bursts of twice that , so I don't forsee heat issues under normal use, either.