Factorial Inc. has completed its first shipment of solid-state lithium-metal battery cells for unmanned aerial systems to Avidrone Aerospace Inc. of Canada. This delivery marks the inaugural flight deployment of Factorial’s proprietary FEST® (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) platform and represents the company’s entry into the drone sector.
Avidrone plans to integrate the FEST® cells into its high-endurance cargo drone platform for a series of demonstration flights. The tests will assess energy efficiency, discharge performance, payload capacity and operational range under conditions that include high altitudes, fluctuating temperatures and sustained vibration. Early modeling conducted by Avidrone indicates that the solid-state cells could approximately double the aircraft’s range for a given payload compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries.
“This delivery is a major step forward in bringing our battery platform to the skies,” said Siyu Huang, CEO of Factorial. “Avidrone’s specialized platform is the perfect testbed to prove how our high-energy, lightweight lithium-metal technology can unlock new levels of range and performance in aerial systems. Drones are not just an emerging market – they’re a strategic priority for national defense, critical logistics, and infrastructure resilience, and we see this as the first of many aerospace applications for our solid-state batteries.”
Factorial’s FEST® cells deliver up to 50% higher energy density than typical lithium-ion cells, providing an optimized energy-to-weight profile tailored to unmanned systems. The cells undergo internal validation for high-power discharge, supporting extended missions and heavier payloads without significant increases in system weight.
“In unmanned systems, weight equals range – and range defines the mission,” said Scott Gray, Founder and CEO of Avidrone Aerospace. “Factorial’s solid-state cells give us a critical edge in endurance and payload, unlocking new capabilities for defense, logistics, and beyond. We’re proud to be the first to take this groundbreaking technology airborne.”
While Factorial remains focused on advancing electric vehicle battery solutions, the company views the unmanned aerial sector as a complementary growth market. Insights gained through early drone deployments are expected to inform scale-up of solid-state production and accelerate broader applications, including automotive and defense. Both companies emphasize the importance of U.S.-based energy storage development to meet domestic security and infrastructure needs.
Source: Business Wire
