As one of the core components of the low-altitude economy equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) have seen increasingly widespread applications in recent years across sectors such as logistics delivery, power line inspection, agricultural pest control, and emergency rescue. As the primary power source for drones, the performance stability and operational safety of lithium-ion batteries directly impact flight safety and operational efficiency. To standardize industry technical specifications and address gaps in national standards, the National Standardization Administration has issued China’s first national standard for drone batteries: GB/T 46460-2025 “Specifications of Lithium ion cells and batteries used in unmanned aerial vehicles.” This standard comes into effect on May 1, 2026.
Scope: cells and batteries used in unmanned aerial vehicles This specification is specifically developed for lithium-ion batteries used in drones, covering both cells and battery. It defines key terms such as charge retention capability and recovery capacity, providing a unified basis for testing and compliance assessment.
Dual requirements on performance and safety: Comprehensively assess the battery quality The specification sets out comprehensive performance indicators and safety protection requirements for batteries.
Performance: It covers core testing items such as high and low temperature capacity, rate discharge, charge retention capability, recovery capacity, and high-temperature storage. It is suitable for complex scenarios such as low-temperature high-altitude operations of unmanned aerial vehicles, high-current instantaneous discharge, and long-term outdoor storage. It emphasizes: 1) When discharging at -10℃, the capacity value should not be less than 80% of the initial capacity; 2) When the battery pack is discharged at a current of 3ItA under normal temperature conditions, its capacity should not be less than 90% of the initial capacity.
Safety: It covers external short circuit, overcharge, drop and other testing items Meanwhile, for battery packs, it adds static discharge, overvoltage/overcurrent/over-temperature protection, vibration, flipping and other tests to comprehensively prevent all kinds of safety risks. The key safety test is overload which considers the product’s usage characteristics and performance requirements. When the product can discharge normally at 3ItA, the current in the overload test should be above 4.5ItA. This should be given priority consideration during product design.
MCM, as professional team, has long been deeply engaged in the field of battery testing and certification, and can provide you with more accurate and practical first-hand interpretations of standards and regulations. We offer comprehensive testing and certification solutions for various battery safety standards, covering specialized training, product testing and certification, and full-process one-stop technical support. For more details on drone battery standards, please feel free to contact us immediately. MCM looks forward to communicating with you to jointly seize more opportunities in the drone industry.
