As drone delivery companies race to expand across American cities, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: better batteries may matter just as much as better drones. That’s the idea behind a new partnership between Matternet and Amprius Technologies, which aims to improve the range, efficiency, and economics of autonomous aerial delivery using advanced silicon-anode battery cells.
The companies announced that Amprius batteries are already powering Matternet’s FAA Type Certified M2 delivery drone, with deeper collaboration now underway for Matternet’s next-generation aircraft platform expected to scale beginning in 2027.
For drone delivery operators, battery performance affects nearly everything. More range means larger delivery networks. Faster charging increases how often drones can fly each day. Lower battery weight can free up additional payload capacity. All of that directly impacts the cost of running commercial drone delivery operations.
Matternet founder and CEO Andreas Raptopoulos says the company sees battery technology as a major competitive advantage as urban drone delivery expands.
Amprius says its silicon-anode lithium-ion cells can deliver up to twice the energy density of traditional graphite-based batteries. In practical terms, that could translate into longer flight times and improved operational efficiency for delivery drones.
Rather than simply swapping battery packs, the two companies say they are jointly optimizing multiple aspects of the system, including cell design, thermal performance, charging speed, cycle life, and battery form factor, specifically for Matternet’s aircraft and network model.
That optimization could help improve aircraft availability while reducing cost per delivery: two critical goals for companies trying to make drone logistics commercially sustainable at scale.
The announcement also highlights how quickly the drone delivery sector continues to mature in the US. Matternet remains one of the industry’s most established players, becoming the first company to secure FAA Type Certification and Production Certification for a commercial delivery drone platform. The company has partnered with logistics giants, including UPS, and says its technology has already completed more than 60,000 commercial flights across the US and Europe.
Meanwhile, Amprius has increasingly positioned itself as a battery supplier for demanding aerospace and defense applications where weight and performance are critical. With commercial drone delivery networks expected to grow significantly over the next several years, battery advancements like these could become a key factor separating successful operators from the rest of the pack.
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