Aviation Battery Systems - Battery Design

Aviation battery systems have some very unique requirements compared to other mobile batteries.

Aircraft Battery Requirements: ATI’s 2026 Target Matrix

ATI’s September 2026 INSIGHT report breaks the single 400 Wh/kg NASA figure below into a full matrix of duty-cycle targets by aircraft category and by role within the propulsion system, for regional and single-aisle aircraft, eVTOL and fuel cell propulsion.

ATI Aircraft Battery Requirements 2026

The report covers three airframe groupings: regional aircraft, single-aisle commercial aircraft, and a “zero-carbon” category covering eVTOL and fuel cell propulsion.

2022 Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Targets

400 Wh/kg required at the system level
1000’s of cycles
Extremely high power requirements (C-rates) during takeoff and landing
Cruise power for long range flights
High reliability, limited maintenance
Improved safety for thermal runaway events

Spirit of Innovation

Spirit of Innovation is an Electroflight designed propulsion system that they engineered and built into an airframe to set air speed records. Badged as the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation.

345 mph – 3 kilometres
331 mph – 15 kilometres
202 seconds – 3000 metre climb

Rolls-Royce ‘spirit of innovation’ is officially the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft.

Battery Sizing for a Commercial Aircraft

can we convert a commercial airplane to a BEV

Legislation, Rules and Regulations

RTCA DO-311A is the primary aviation standard for lithium-ion batteries installed on civil aircraft, defining performance, safety and environmental test requirements.
RTCA DO-160 is the standard test specification for environmental qualification of all airborne equipment, including battery systems.
14 CFR Part 25 sets the US airworthiness standards for transport category aircraft; Section 25.1353 specifically addresses battery and battery charger installation.
EASA Special Condition E-19 is the European certification framework specifically targeting electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems.
ASTM F3316/F3316M covers the electrical systems, equipment and power distribution architectures required for airworthiness in electric and hybrid-electric propulsion aircraft.
ASTM F3239 defines minimum requirements for a complete electric propulsion system installed on an aircraft, from energy storage through to the propulsor.
ASTM F3338 establishes minimum design requirements for electric propulsion units, including distributed-electric configurations, on general aviation aircraft.
ASTM F3653 is the newest and most directly battery-focused of the ASTM aviation specifications, defining acceptable means to validate the equipment, location and installation of rechargeable lithium batteries on aircraft.
FAA AC 20-184A is the FAA’s primary guidance document for certifying lithium battery and battery system installations on aircraft.