Sion Power Corporation has signed a three-year agreement to supply its proprietary lithium-sulfur batteries for use in Airbus Defence and Space’s Zephyr High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) aircraft.

The HAPS is an aircraft that stays aloft for long periods of time, allowing it to perform many of the functions of a satellite, but more flexibly and cheaply. One of the challenges is supplying constant power, which is where the need for advanced batteries comes in.

Sion’s batteries were successfully used in Airbus’s Zephyr 7, which achieved record-breaking flights of more than 14 days. The Zephyr 8 aircraft is larger, with increased payload capacity. Sion’s custom Li-S battery packs provide specific energy of 350 Wh/kg, which the company claims is the highest available for a rechargeable battery.

“Sion Power is a world leader in lightweight, high-energy Li-S battery technology,” said Airbus VP Thomas Keupp. “Combining Airbus and Sion Power engineering expertise has proven to be a successful platform for our ongoing success.”

Source: ChargedEVs