Sion Power is expanding its Licerion® lithium-metal battery program to supply cells and battery systems for US defense and aerospace. The cells are engineered to exceed 500 Wh/kg, up to 200 Wh/kg more than current advanced lithium-ion technology, even with silicon anode enhancements.

The platform covers both primary (single-discharge) and secondary (rechargeable) configurations. Target applications include long-endurance UAS, tactical and counter-UAS drones, missile and loitering munition platforms, autonomous maritime and ground vehicles and space systems. Sion Power operates a 110,000 sq ft cell manufacturing facility in Tucson, Arizona, and says it can demonstrate cells and integrated battery systems today, and expects initial product shipments in late 2026.

Lithium-metal anodes store substantially more energy per kilogram than graphite because lithium metal is lighter and more electrochemically active. For weight-constrained platforms, closing the gap from 300-350 Wh/kg for advanced Li-ion to 500+ Wh/kg translates directly into longer endurance and expanded payload capacity. Sion Power’s expansion also responds to US policy momentum—NDAA provisions support domestic battery supply chains and highlight demand for American-manufactured advanced cells.

“Our lithium-metal technology provides the step-change in energy density required to support longer-range missions, increased flight duration and higher payload capability while maintaining a U.S.-based manufacturing capability aligned with national security priorities,” said Pamela Fletcher, CEO of Sion Power.

“By combining high-energy lithium-metal chemistry with advanced battery pack engineering, Sion Power enables defense integrators to unlock two to three times increases in mission endurance, significantly extended operational range and dramatically higher payload capacity compared with conventional lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries used in today’s unmanned systems,” said Tracy Kelley, chief science officer at Sion Power.

Source: Sion Power

Mercedes-Benz Trucks will begin sales of its new battery-electric eArocs 400 in April, expanding its electric portfolio to include the construction segment.

Customers in an initial 13 EU markets can now order the eArocs 400, which made its debut at last year’s bauma trade fair in Munich. Beginning in the third quarter of 2026, the base vehicle will be produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth am Rhein, followed by integration of the electric drivetrain by Paul Group, headquartered in Vilshofen an der Donau.

The eArocs 400 is equipped with two LFP battery packs, each offering 207 kWh of capacity, housed in a battery tower behind the cab. It’s designed specifically for urban and near-road construction work, and in many use cases, it can complete a full work day without intermediate charging.

The eArocs 400 is initially offered in two versions, with technically permissible gross vehicle weights of 37 and 44 tonnes. It is available in an 8×4/4 axle configuration and four wheelbase options, and is suitable for applications such as dump bodies and concrete mixer bodies.

Key components from the second-generation Mercedes Benz eActros portfolio have been incorporated into the eArocs 400.

The eArocs 400 features an 800-volt onboard electrical architecture, as well as an integrated 3-speed transmission, providing a continuous output of 380 kW and a peak output of 450 kW. The truck supports charging at up to 400 kW via the standard CCS2 charging interface, available on both sides of the vehicle.

“The new battery-electric eArocs 400 combines the robustness required with an efficient electric drive system, covering key use cases in near-road construction,” said Stina Fagerman, Head of Marketing, Sales and Services at Mercedes Benz Trucks.

Source: Mercedes-Benz Trucks

Bosch Rexroth has introduced the TS 7plus, a fully electric roller conveyor designed for heavy-payload manufacturing lines. The company says it’s the world’s first freely configurable, fully electric transfer system for loads up to 3,000 kg, targeting automotive, battery and aerospace/defense assembly.

The TS 7plus runs on modular sections using solid or hollow rollers roughly 50% larger than those in the predecessor TS 7 system. The larger rollers reduce moving parts per meter, which Bosch Rexroth says improves availability. Standard workpiece pallets go up to 2,200 x 3,000 mm, minimum transport height is 350 mm for both longitudinal and transverse conveying, and conveyor speed reaches 24 m/min—Bosch Rexroth says that’s significantly faster than AGVs. A redesigned bearing block with two mounting tabs speeds assembly and simplifies maintenance and replacement.

Drive is via lubrication-free king shafts with bevel gears, eliminating the re-tensioning and lubrication demands of chain drives. Motors come in 180 W and 250 W variants with a third-party interface, and can mount inside or outside the conveyor section. Internal mounting clears the working area of interfering contours, the bevel gear path also keeps lubricants away from workpieces.

The system supports two operating modes: conventional accumulation with stop gates, and a segmented mode where each motor section runs only when required. Segmented operation cuts energy consumption over the full lifecycle and allows smaller motors to be specified, extending service life. Configuration is handled by MTpro planning software—available as a local install or as the browser-based MTpro Online Designer—which auto-generates CAD models and parts lists from the standard-component builds for export to the Rexroth Store or certified partners.

Source: Bosch Rexroth

Off-the-shelf controllers with safety certifications are giving e-mobility engineers a false sense of security.

An off-the-shelf BMS with a third-party functional safety certification sounds like a solved problem. SIL-rated, ASIL-rated, ready to drop into your e-mobility battery pack. But according to Rich Byczek, Global Chief Engineer for Batteries at Intertek, that certification probably doesn’t cover what you think it covers.

“Certified BMS systems, meaning certified systems that have functional safety certifications from a third party, don’t necessarily address these functions,” Byczek told Charged during a recent webinar (now available to watch on demand). “They just look at the controller as a more generic electrical system.”

The problem: most certifications evaluate the controller hardware against a general integrity standard (IEC 61508, ISO 26262 or ISO 13849). They verify that the electronics are reliable. They don’t verify that the controller monitors individual cell voltages, manages cell-level temperature limits or handles the specific failure modes of lithium-ion chemistry.

Fuses don’t protect at the cell level

The gap is sharpest with passive protection. A pack-level fuse can interrupt a gross overcurrent event, but it’s blind to an individual cell in a series string being driven past its voltage limits. That requires active, per-cell monitoring, and a generic certified controller may not have the inputs and outputs to deliver it.

For e-mobility systems specifically, Byczek stressed that the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) must evaluate overvoltage, undervoltage, overcharge, overdischarge, over- and under-temperature, short circuit and excessive current, all at the cell level. “We look at those at the cell level, not only at the macro or battery pack level,” he said.

This is a different world from portable devices, where legacy standards like IEC 62133 rely on type tests and single-fault evaluations. Those standards were designed for products a user could set down and walk away from.

E-mobility doesn’t work that way. “You’re literally riding on top of that battery, potentially going at a fairly high speed,” said Byczek. “You can’t just get away from it.”

Start with the FMEA, not the certificate

The fix isn’t complicated, but it does require work. Start with an FMEA that covers every safety-critical function your BMS must perform, at the cell level. Then verify that your controller (certified or not) actually has the architecture to deliver each one. A certified controller is a starting point, not a finish line.

The standards themselves can be mixed and matched. SIL, ASIL and Performance Levels don’t map one-to-one, but regulators accept cross-framework approaches as long as your risk assessment demonstrably covers every identified hazard. For BMS systems, you’re typically targeting SIL 2, ASIL B or PLc, but the specific level matters less than proving your system can fail safely when a sensor drifts, a resistor opens or a communication link drops.

For teams pivoting from automotive EV programs into adjacent markets like forklifts, floor scrubbers and personal mobility devices, this is the adjustment that matters most. The batteries may be smaller, but the safety obligations are not.

Watch the full webinar: Rich Byczek’s complete presentation on applying functional safety to e-mobility battery systems is available on demand.