With the rapid rise of the low-altitude economy, drones are being deployed in an increasingly wide range of scenarios. From consumer-grade aerial photography and leisure entertainment to industrial inspection and agricultural plant protection, as well as urban air mobility (UAM) and drone logistics, higher requirements have been placed on the performance of drone batteries. Issues such as short endurance, low energy density, slow charging and insufficient safety have long been core bottlenecks restricting the development of the drone industry. In recent years, driven by continuous innovations in battery technology, new types of batteries including solid-state batteries, graphene batteries and hydrogen fuel cells have been gradually put into practical use. They are advancing drone batteries toward higher energy density, enhanced safety, longer flight time and faster charging, injecting new momentum into the growth of the low-altitude economy.
Solid-state batteries represent a key breakthrough direction in current drone battery technology, poised to achieve dual leaps in energy density and safety. Unlike traditional liquid batteries, solid-state batteries adopt solid electrolytes to replace conventional liquid electrolytes, with a theoretical energy density exceeding 500Wh/kg — far higher than the 200–260Wh/kg of traditional lithium polymer batteries. They also feature substantially reduced risk of thermal runaway and longer cycle life, effectively addressing the shortcomings of short endurance and poor safety in conventional batteries. At present, leading enterprises have applied solid-state batteries to models such as EH216-S. The single flight time of drones has been extended to 48 minutes, with endurance improved by 60%–90% compared with traditional batteries, an energy density reaching 300–480Wh/kg, and a cycle life of over 500 times.
Enterprises have built experimental production lines for solid-state batteries, planning to achieve 2GWh mass production in 2026. The industry is expected to enter a rapid growth phase in 2027. By 2030, the shipment volume of semi-solid-state batteries is projected to exceed 65GWh, while full-solid-state batteries are expected to surpass 1GWh in 2028. Nevertheless, solid-state batteries still face technical challenges including solid-solid interface stability, complex mass production processes and relatively high costs. Greater R&D investment will be required in the future to tackle key technologies such as interface compatibility, material systems and packaging processes, so as to promote their large-scale application in the drone sector.
Graphene batteries offer a new solution for drone operation in extreme environments. Their unique two-dimensional structure endows the batteries with higher electron mobility and thermal conductivity, delivering outstanding performance in energy density, low-temperature resistance and fast charging capability. The graphene battery developed by the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials under AECC achieves a 50% higher energy density than traditional batteries, and supports 3C discharge even at an extremely low temperature of -40°C, making it suitable for drone operations in special environments such as plateaus and frigid regions. The Sky battery developed by Phylion Battery boasts an energy density of 400Wh/kg, a 60% weight reduction compared with conventional batteries and a 35% increase in endurance. It has been applied to multiple types of drones and eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft.
Wide-temperature-range batteries have also become a major R&D focus in recent years. The high-specific-energy wide-temperature lithium battery developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, reaches an energy density of 400Wh/kg and operates stably in extreme environments ranging from -40°C to 60°C, with endurance improved by 20%–40% over traditional batteries. It provides reliable power support for drone missions in cold-region operations, emergency rescue and other scenarios. The development of such batteries has broken the environmental temperature limitations of conventional batteries and expanded the application boundaries of drones.
Hydrogen fuel cells open up new possibilities for long-endurance drones. With inherent advantages of high energy density, ultra-long flight time and zero emissions, they are gradually entering the trial application phase for drones and eVTOL aircraft. The energy density of hydrogen fuel cells is far higher than that of traditional lithium batteries. It is estimated that hydrogen hybrid eVTOL aircraft will achieve a cruising range of over 1,000 kilometers by 2030, ideal for long-distance freight transportation and cross-regional inspection missions, and expected to break the endurance bottleneck of long-range drone flights. In addition, new battery types such as sodium-ion batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries are under accelerated research and development, driving the diversification of drone power systems.
Beyond technological breakthroughs in batteries themselves, the upgrading of intelligent Battery Management Systems (BMS) also underpins the performance improvement of drone batteries. AI and big data-powered BMS can monitor battery health status, temperature, charging and discharging conditions in real time, give early warnings of potential risks, extend battery service life and enhance flight safety. Meanwhile, the adoption of high-rate fast charging and intelligent battery swapping technology enables drones to achieve instant charging and immediate flight, greatly boosting operational efficiency and reducing usage costs, and supporting high-frequency application scenarios such as drone logistics and emergency rescue.
As battery technology continues to mature and costs decline, drones will see continuous improvements in endurance, load capacity and safety, further advancing the large-scale and commercial development of the low-altitude economy. In the future, drone batteries will evolve toward higher energy density, better safety, lighter weight and greater environmental friendliness, laying a solid foundation for innovative applications across the drone industry.
