Extreme batteries for robots

Withstanding freezing conditions

Robots operating in temperatures approaching minus 40 degrees Celsius face a challenge—often not due to ice or wind, but the battery itself. As the cold intensifies, chemical reactions slow down, battery range plummets, and power output simply drops off. Now, researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences) claim to have developed a metal battery capable of maintaining high performance even under extreme conditions.

Instead of using the traditional architecture based on graphite anodes, they developed a lithium-metal battery—a technology that has long attracted interest for offering energy density far superior to conventional cells. The result was an experimental 25-amp-hour cell capable of achieving nearly 750 watt-hours per kilogram at room temperature, a figure well above that of most commercial batteries currently in use.

However, the most impressive results emerge when cold temperatures come into play.

Even when operating at -40°C, the new battery managed to maintain an energy density of nearly 447 Wh/kg, preserving a significant amount of usable energy in an environment where traditional batteries typically suffer a major drop in performance. Furthermore, tests demonstrated that the cell withstands extremely rapid discharge rates—reaching up to 10C—meaning it can deliver large amounts of power in a very short time. This capability is particularly crucial for equipment requiring instant power surges, such as drones during takeoff, industrial robots, autonomous vehicles, or military systems operating in freezing regions.

Another notable feature is the low self-discharge rate; according to the researchers, the battery loses less than 1% of its charge per year during storage, allowing for long periods of inactivity without significant energy loss. Much of this performance stems from combining a lithium-metal anode with a new cathode based on high-entropy oxides—a class of materials developed to provide superior chemical and structural stability, even under extreme temperature and electrical current conditions.

The project is now moving beyond the laboratory stage.

Researchers have set up a pilot line capable of producing nearly 10 tons of material per year, enabling the manufacture of enough cells to expand testing in real-world applications. The goal is to validate this technology for use in drones, inspection robots, remote sensors, scientific equipment, and future aerospace platforms that require long-term operation without the possibility of recharging.