Amprius Eyes Mass Production for Next Generation Electric Aircraft Battery

April 28, 2025

Amprius has announced production-scale availability of its new 450 Wh/kg SiCore™ battery, pictured here, for aviation and defense applications. (Image: Amprius)

Amprius announced the launch of its 450 Wh/kg SiCore™ lithium-ion battery. This is Amprius’ most energy-dense SiCore cell, offering 450 Wh/kg and 950 Wh/L, and is expected to move to mass production in the near term through its global manufacturing partners.

Built with Amprius’ proprietary silicon anode material system, this SiCore cell delivers up to 80 percent more energy than conventional lithium-ion cells with graphite anodes. This enhanced energy density translates to extended flight time, greater range, and improved system-level performance, all within a compact, lightweight design.

“We’ve demonstrated what’s possible at 450 Wh/kg with our SiMaxx platform years ago,” said Dr. Kang Sun, CEO of Amprius Technologies. “What makes this SiCore cell different and noteworthy is that it brings that level of extreme performance into a cell chemistry and format that are ready to scale with the existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing processes and equipment in the industry. It’s production-ready, commercially available, and already being qualified by customers today.”

Designed for extreme conditions to meet the demands of aviation and defense applications, the new SiCore cell delivers reliable performance across wide temperature ranges and mission-critical environments. It meets the demands of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), Medium-Altitude Platform Stations (MAPS), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), by providing longer range and greater payloads without increasing weight — a feature that also reduces total system cost.

This allows operators to fly longer missions with fewer compromises, minimizing the need for additional batteries, fuel, or equipment.

This SiCore cell is being evaluated with plans to move into qualification with leading aviation and defense customers preparing for commercial deployment. To meet their demand, Amprius has built a global contract manufacturing network with gigawatt-hour-scale production capacity.

UN38.3 certification, which is required for the safe air transport of lithium-ion batteries, is expected in this quarter for this cell. This will allow Amprius to begin volume shipments shortly afterward and support broader commercial deployment worldwide.

The commercial launch of the 450 Wh/kg SiCore cell follows the broader introduction of Amprius’ SiCore platform in January 2024. That announcement marked the debut of a new generation of silicon anode cells engineered for both high energy and high power in a single format. With the latest 450 Wh/kg cell now entering production, SiCore is positioned to support a wide range of high-demand applications across electric aviation, defense, and mobility markets.

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