FLYVOLT has qualified a new NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) cell chemistry formulation for integration into our industrial and survey pack configurations. Lab testing at our Quebec facility shows an average 38% improvement in gravimetric energy density versus our previous LiPo baseline — translating directly to longer flight endurance or reduced pack weight for the same energy budget.

Test results summary

The new NMC formulation was evaluated against the FLYVOLT standard cell qualification protocol, which includes: capacity verification at C/5, C/2, 1C, and 2C discharge rates; internal resistance measurement at 50% SoC; cycle life test to 80% retained capacity; thermal stability at 25°C, 45°C, and −10°C; and mechanical integrity under IEC 60068 vibration and shock profiles.

Key results: 312 Wh/kg gravimetric energy density at C/5 (vs. 225 Wh/kg for the LiPo baseline); 287 Wh/kg at 1C continuous; cycle life of 820 cycles to 80% retained capacity at 1C charge/1C discharge. Thermal stability was satisfactory across the test range; cold-start at −10°C showed 94% of room-temperature capacity.

Trade-offs

NMC achieves higher energy density than LiPo at the cost of lower peak discharge current capability. The new formulation is rated at 3C continuous and 5C peak — adequate for survey and inspection profiles, but not suitable for high-agility platforms requiring 10C+ bursts. FLYVOLT will continue to offer LiPo-based configurations for applications where peak discharge rate is the primary constraint.

Availability

The NMC chemistry option is now available for the FV-88K-8S Survey Pack and FV-100K-12S Industrial configurations. Retrofitting existing LiPo-based orders is not possible — the cell geometry and BMS parameters differ. New orders specifying NMC chemistry will carry a 10–15% price premium reflecting the higher cell cost. Contact FLYVOLT engineering to discuss specification trade-offs for your application.