Li[Ni0.33Mn0.33Co0.33]O2/graphite and LiCoO2/graphite pouch cells filled with a combination of ethyl acetate (EA) and vinylene carbonate (VC), or methyl propanoate (MP) and VC with 1M LiPF6 function very well, even though these cells contain no ethylene carbonate, thought to be essential for the negative electrode solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Cells filled with 1M LiPF6 in MP:VC (95:5 w:w) showed similar capacity retention and impedance after 1700h of cycling at 40°C as cells filled with 1M LiPF6 in EC:ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC)+2% VC. Cells filled with these ester containing electrolytes also showed better rate performance when cycled at -14°C, delivering 40% of the discharge energy at a current equivalent to 4C, while cells filled with EC:EMC+2% VC failed to deliver any capacity at a current of 3C. High precision coulometry measurements also showed that cells filled with 1M LiPF6 in MP:VC (95:5 w:w) had similar coulombic efficiency and charge endpoint capacity slippage as cells filled with 1M LiPF6 EC:EMC+2% VC which indicates ester based electrolytes can have long lifetime.