Ultra-low-temperature lithium battery powers a drone to complete missions in -34 C environment. Photo: Screenshot of video from Science and Technology Daily

Chinese researchers have developed an ultra-low-temperature lithium battery that enables plug-and-play operation in extreme cold and competed on-site testing in Mohe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, successfully solving the long-standing energy supply problem in frigid regions, Science and Technology Daily reported Wednesday.

The testing was conducted by a team led by Academician Chen Zhongwei from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

According to Zhang Meng, associate research fellow and technical leader of the team's low-temperature battery program, the team's self-developed ultra-low-temperature battery technology and supporting artificial intelligence (AI) power management system have addressed a key industrial pain point: the sharp drop in activity, severely reduced range, and even total failure of conventional lithium batteries at low temperatures.

In an extreme cold environment of -34 C, the lithium battery, without external insulation measures to keep warm, retained more than 85 percent of its effective capacity after standing for over 8 hours. It then successfully powered an industrial‑grade drone to complete long‑endurance flights and multiple mission simulations.

Zhang said that the achievement is expected to solve the problem of batteries being "vulnerable to freezing" in extremely cold regions, providing "reliable energy" for operations such as forest fire prevention, power line inspection, and emergency communications under high‑altitude and cold conditions in China and globally.

The popularization and application of the technology will strategically enhance China's energy independence and the reliability of scientific and technological equipment in extreme cold environments, and is also expected to offer Chinese solutions to regions worldwide facing similar challenges.

In the future, the ultra‑low‑temperature battery technology and AI power system can be widely used in 3C electronic products, while also enabling logistics drones, inspection drones, special robots and other outdoor operating equipment to work without restrictions in cold seasons and regions.



Global Times