Airbus subsidiary AALTO and others are able to conduct long-duration UAV missions because to high-energy cells.
Fremont Pilot Line Increases Drone Battery Shipments to Amprius
Several makers of cutting-edge drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, notably Airbus subsidiary AALTO, have received high-energy silicon anode battery cells from Amprius Technologies, Inc. In the company’s attempts to scale up to satisfy the increasing industry need for lightweight, high-endurance power solutions, the shipments represent a significant milestone.
The SiCore® batteries were manufactured at Amprius’ pilot plant in Fremont, California, which also acts as the company’s hub for early-stage production and research and development. The latest supplies include balanced energy-and-power cells for military and commercial UAV applications, as well as 450 Wh/kg energy-dense cells for high-altitude platforms.
Supporting Long-Endurance Missions
Pierre-Antoine Aubourg, chief technology officer at AALTO, emphasized the importance of Amprius’ technology for stratospheric operations. “Amprius’ SiCore cells represent a major advancement in energy performance, supporting the ultra-lightweight, long-endurance requirements of our high-altitude operations,” stated Aubourg. “Their silicon anode technology has already enabled Zephyr to operate in the stratosphere overnight for months at a time, an unprecedented milestone in persistent flight. We look forward to working with Amprius as we qualify their next-generation cells to power the future of Stratospace innovation.”
Several high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) systems are gaining from Amprius’ silicon anode batteries‘ performance improvements, including AALTO’s Zephyr platform. Greater energy storage without additional weight is made possible by the cells, which is essential for prolonged UAV missions in environmental monitoring, communications, and defense.
Meeting Industry Demand and Scaling Production
Dr. Kang Sun, CEO of Amprius Technologies, stated that demand from drone manufacturers continues to grow. “We are expanding our pilot production in Fremont to meet a strong increase from leading drone manufacturers,” he said. “Shipping our industry-leading SiCore cells to AALTO and other leading drone OEMs marks another key milestone in our commercial scale-up. From high-energy HAPS cells to balanced-performance drone batteries, we’re now delivering solutions that meet a wide range of advanced mission needs.”
The Fremont site developed the SiCore platform, including a high-power 370 Wh/kg cell designed for compact, mission-ready applications. Amprius’ pilot facility enables fast customer qualification and accelerates the path from prototype to deployment.
Building Global Capacity for Broader Adoption
While Fremont supports innovation and prototyping, Amprius is also building out its global supply chain to support higher-volume production. The company has secured over 1.8 GWh of manufacturing capacity through international partnerships, including a strategic contract in South Korea. This capacity expansion aims to meet rising demand from aerospace, defense, and electric mobility customers.
Amprius produces some of the industry’s highest energy-density lithium-ion batteries, with third-party-verified performance reaching 500 Wh/kg and 1,300 Wh/L. These advancements position the company to supply next-generation battery solutions across multiple sectors where power-to-weight ratio is critical.
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