High-energy cells support long-endurance UAV missions for Airbus subsidiary AALTO and others
Amprius Expands Drone Battery Shipments from Fremont Pilot Line
Amprius Technologies, Inc. has delivered its high-energy silicon anode battery cells to several advanced drone and UAV manufacturers, including Airbus subsidiary AALTO. The shipments mark a major milestone in the company’s scale-up efforts to meet growing industry demand for lightweight, high-endurance power solutions.
The SiCore® batteries were produced at Amprius’ Fremont, California pilot facility, which serves as the company’s center for research, development, and early-stage production. The new deliveries include 450 Wh/kg energy-dense cells for high-altitude platforms, as well as balanced energy-and-power cells for commercial and tactical UAV applications.
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,” said 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.”
AALTO’s Zephyr platform is one of several high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) systems benefiting from the performance gains of Amprius’ silicon anode batteries. The cells allow for greater energy storage without added weight—a key requirement for extended UAV missions in defense, communications, and environmental monitoring.
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.
For more details, visit Amprius’ investor relations site or amprius.com.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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