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Solving the Cold-Weather Power Problem for Drone Operators

Drone operators working in northern regions, high-altitude corridors, and winter inspection routes face a recurring obstacle: standard lithium batteries lose discharge capability as temperatures drop, and many require lengthy preheating before a mission can even begin. This single limitation can delay time-sensitive operations such as power line inspection, pipeline monitoring, and logistics delivery during winter months. For companies sourcing power systems through OEM/ODM channels, the ability to secure a battery engineered specifically for sub-zero performance—rather than a general-purpose cell adapted after the fact—has become a decisive factor in vendor selection.

Shenzhen Jentc Technology Co., Ltd., operating under the brand names Jentc and Rechane, has built its business around exactly this kind of specialized demand. Established in 2011 and headquartered in Shenzhen with global business coverage, the company has spent 15 years focused on full-stack customization of high-rate lithium batteries, drone batteries, and semi-solid-state batteries, together with the supporting BMS management systems that make those cells usable in demanding field conditions.

Why Low-Temperature Performance Is a Distinct Engineering Problem

Cold weather affects lithium batteries at the electrochemical level: ion mobility slows inside the electrolyte, internal resistance rises, and usable discharge current drops sharply. Industry pain points commonly cited include unstable power in extreme environments, rapid battery decay, and unsatisfactory high and low temperature performance—all of which directly reduce flight time and mission reliability. A battery that performs well at room temperature does not automatically perform well at -20°C or lower; the electrolyte formula, separator, and pole-piece treatment all need to be reconsidered for the target operating range.

This is why Jentc’s approach begins at the cell formula design stage rather than treating cold-weather performance as an afterthought. The company’s stated customization scope for low temperature operation extends to -70°C and above, giving OEM/ODM partners a wide design envelope depending on the severity of the operating environment and the discharge rate required.

A Documented Case: Northern Inspection Drones and Drone Nests

One of the clearest illustrations of this capability comes from a 2026 project involving northern inspection drones and drone nests. The customer’s existing battery—a 15.2V 6.7Ah high-rate lithium battery with a maximum charging current of 1C (6.7A)—could not meet the needs of northern winter flight operations and required the battery to be warmed up for a period before operation, seriously affecting work efficiency and requiring fast charging as well.

Jentc’s engineering team addressed both problems simultaneously. For the temperature issue, the team applied low-temperature electrolyte and related low-temperature measures suited to the actual operating environment. For the charging-speed requirement, the team developed unique formulas for the positive and negative electrode sheets and corresponding processes designed to prevent the battery from swelling due to excessive temperature during fast charging. The resulting customized battery was a 15.2V 10AH unit rated for -40°C operation with 2C fast-charging capability.

The measured outcome: charging time was reduced by 30 minutes, and no preheating was required for low-temperature operations, allowing rapid flight operations to proceed without the delay previously built into cold-weather missions. This case demonstrates the practical link between cell-level material science and operational efficiency in the field—an outcome that matters to OEM/ODM partners evaluating suppliers on measurable results rather than marketing claims.

Full-Stack Customization: Cell, BMS, and Structure Together

A low-temperature cell alone does not solve every cold-weather challenge; the BMS (Battery Management System) governing that cell must also be tuned to the scenario. Jentc’s customized lithium battery BMS development covers overcharge, over-discharge, over-current, short circuit, and temperature protection as baseline functions, alongside more specialized capabilities relevant to cold-weather and high-demand operations, including:

• Current limiting logic tailored to flight conditions, so the battery limits current during flight without triggering unnecessary over-current cut-off protection
• Data collection of voltage, current, and temperature in real time
• Customizable communication protocols, including single-protocol control logic and multi-protocol communication over CAN bus, Bluetooth, and other interfaces for transmitting battery data to drones or external systems
• SOC and SOH calculation and feedback, giving operators visibility into remaining capacity and battery health
• Active and passive balancing functions with adjustable control logic to maintain cell consistency over repeated cycles
• Battery data recording and analysis to automatically store operation logs and help locate faulty cells for maintenance
• Remote monitoring through 4G communication, enabling cloud data synchronization for visual monitoring of battery pack status and reduced on-site operation and maintenance costs

Because this BMS development sits alongside the cell design work within the same organization, Jentc is positioned to deliver what the company describes as an overall system customized solution—battery cell plus BMS plus structure—rather than sourcing these components separately and integrating them after the fact.

Customization Scope for OEM/ODM Partners

For companies evaluating an OEM/ODM partner for low-temperature drone battery programs, the relevant technical parameters that Jentc has published include: energy density up to 420Wh/kg, voltage up to 400V, discharge rate up to 180C, cell capacity up to 90AH, fast charge up to 5C, low temperature performance down to -70°C and above, and high temperature performance up to 80°C, along with a complete set of drone battery BMS software and hardware solutions. This range is intended to cover a broad set of industry applications, including agricultural plant protection, large-load drones, power and photovoltaic inspection, crossing drones, pipeline inspection drones, logistics drones, cleaning drones, and formation drones.

The company’s technical history also reflects continued investment specific to cold-weather and high-rate performance, including the 2024 launch of a -30°C to 10C low-temperature rate discharge drone battery, alongside earlier milestones such as the 2015 introduction of 4.35V high-voltage drone batteries and the 2019 launch of an active battery balancing system.

A Basis for Evaluation

Jentc holds dozens of patents and global certifications including UL, CE, CB, and UN38.3, and describes its core values as safety, innovation, and quality. For OEM/ODM buyers assessing whether a low-temperature drone battery program can be executed reliably, the combination of documented case results, a defined customization scope, and in-house BMS development offers a concrete basis for evaluation—grounded in the specific engineering choices made for cold-weather electrolytes, electrode treatments, and BMS logic rather than general assurances about performance.

https://www.uav-battery.com/
Shenzhen Jentc Technology Co., Ltd.

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