High-Power 21700 Battery Cell Set for European Debut at DroneX

US battery manufacturer Rincell is set to unveil its RC50T tabless 21700 lithium-ion cell at DroneX in London, with the high-power cell already shipping to customers.

The RC50T has been developed for demanding phases of drone operation including take-off, climb, payload lift and rapid manoeuvring under load. It delivers 100A continuous and 150A pulse discharge from a standard 21700 cylindrical cell while providing an energy density above 265 Wh/kg.

Its tabless construction gives the cell an internal resistance of 3 to 4 mΩ, which Rincell states allows more of the stored energy to reach the motors as usable power rather than being lost as heat. The cell also supports charging at up to 15A. It is NDAA compliant and is currently ramping up production while shipping to drone manufacturers and customers in other high-power applications.

The RC50T expands Rincell’s 21700 offering alongside the RC50, a 5Ah cell already shipping in volume to drone manufacturers across defence, agricultural and surveillance applications, as well as medical and mobility customers. The RC50 provides an energy density of around 276 Wh/kg, 5C continuous and 10C pulse discharge, and a cycle life of more than 1,000 cycles.

With comparable pricing and the same 21700 form factor, Rincell positions the RC50 for applications where endurance and cycle life are priorities, while the RC50T is intended for applications where peak power takes precedence.

Jignesh Parikh, Co-founder and CEO of Rincell, commented, “In an industry often driven by future promises, we chose to focus on proven results. For three years we have kept our heads down, taken our cells from the lab into volume production and shipped them to customers. DroneX is the first time we have told that story. Everything visitors will see on our stand is a product they can order and fly today. That includes the RC50T, our highest power 21700 cell, and it is already in the air.”

Shashank Sripad, Co-founder and CTO of PROPEL AERO, added, “The RC50T gives us power headroom, without any loss in energy, that we have not had from a 21700 cell before. With internal resistance this low we can build lighter, cooler packs and let the aircraft use more of the energy it is carrying.”

Founded in January 2023 and headquartered in Fremont, California, Rincell designs and manufactures silicon-graphite lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells for defence and commercial customers across drones, communications, aerospace, medical, industrial and data centre markets.

The company operates a 6,500 sq ft battery cell pilot line in Fremont, producing cells for customers in smaller quantities, while volume production is primarily carried out in India. A US production facility is scheduled to come online in late 2027. Rincell is venture-backed and is supported by In-Q-Tel, the US Department of War and the California Energy Commission. The company states that hundreds of thousands of its cells have shipped in 2026.

Jignesh Parikh, Co-founder and CEO of Rincell, said, “Drone builders in the UK and Europe are looking for cells that combine real performance with a supply chain they can trust, and they want them now rather than at some point in the future. We are bringing both to London. Our approach is simple: we do not show anything that is not in production, so when we say a cell is available, it is.”

Rincell will exhibit the RC50T and RC50 alongside sample pack designs at Stand U534 during DroneX at ExCeL London on 29 and 30 September 2026.