Saft introduces new 28V lithium-ion battery for aviation

• Saft presents a new 28-volt lithium-ion battery for back-up and powerful engine starting for business jets and helicopters.

• This lithium-ion battery is more compact, lighter, and offers greater energy density to help reduce CO2 emissions.

• The new lithium-ion battery offers 20% more capacity than its competitors and requires no maintenance.

Las Vegas, 21 October 2024 – Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, is at the 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas, USA, launching its innovative, smart new lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery for aviation. The 28-volt (V) lithium-ion battery is a game-changing development for the aviation industry in terms of weight saving, energy density, total cost of ownership (TCO), and CO₂ emissions.

The new Li-ion battery stores over twice the energy in the same weight and one and a half times the energy in the same volume than a lead acid battery. By switching to lithium-ion batteries, the total weight of a single aircraft could be reduced by 20 to 30 kilograms with a positive impact on fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

“We have a long track record in providing Li-ion technology for aviation with the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) and other commercial programs. Our new lithium-ion battery for aviation utilizes all this expertise translating it into an innovative solution, long-awaited by the industry, that offers a safe, cost-effective, high performance and weight-saving alternative to lead-acid technology” she added.

Saft developed this new battery as a maintenance-free solution based on its own proprietary cell chemistry. Today, with over 20,000 units in the field operating within some of the harshest environments, each battery contains integrated smart capabilities to provide real-time battery health and status information. In addition, the battery features an aerospace-grade MIL-Spec interface as well as the vent and case that meet the thermal runaway containment requirements of DO-311A1.

As one of the few companies to own the entire process from design to production of a battery, Saft can ensure the highest level of safety and performance of its products and has developed this new offering at its R&D facilities in Cockeysville, USA and Bordeaux, France. Saft will manufacture and qualify the battery to the highest standards at one of its existing aviation-certified facilities.

About Saft

Saft specializes in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, from the design and development to the production, customization and service provision. For more than 100 years, Saft’s longer-lasting batteries and systems have provided critical safety applications, back-up power and propulsion for our customers. Our innovative, safe and reliable technology delivers high performance on land, at sea, in the air and in space. Saft is powering industry and smarter cities, while providing critical back-up functionality in remote and harsh environments from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. Saft is a wholly owned subsidiary of TotalEnergies, a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.
We energize the world. www.saft.com

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Press Contacts

Saft
Belén d’Alexis, External Communications Manager Tel.: +33 1 58 63 16 60, email: belen.dalexis@saft.com

Definition Agency
Andrew Bartlett, Tel.: +44 207 580 6502, email: andrew.bartlett@thisisdefinition.com