Badland Batteries, a Packet Digital subsidiary, has opened an 80,000-square-foot battery cell manufacturing plant in Fargo, North Dakota, to produce lithium-ion pouch cells for defense, aerospace, and autonomous systems.
The facility addresses critical vulnerabilities in the defense and technology industrial base, where more than 80% of batteries and raw materials used in autonomous hardware are currently manufactured overseas. By utilizing a blend of automated and manned machinery, the site establishes the first manufacturing ecosystem dedicated to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that controls the production sequence from early-stage chemical qualification through completed cell delivery.
Raw materials utilized on-site are domestic or allied-sourced, incorporating full material traceability to ensure supply continuity. Once pouch cell fabrication is finished, Badland Batteries will transfer the units to its secondary manufacturing and assembly facility, located one mile away, to build integrated, customer-ready battery packs.
“Opening this facility marks an important step forward in building a secure and resilient battery supply chain here in the United States,” said Terri Zimmerman, CEO of Badland Batteries and Packet Digital. “Simply put, we believe that America should build its own batteries, and this facility represents years of work towards that goal and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting our nation’s defense. These battery cells will help power today’s and tomorrow’s cutting-edge autonomous and UAS systems, which are critical to our nation’s security.”
Engineered to scale alongside expanding sector requirements across robotics, unmanned aircraft, and military platforms, the Fargo plant maintains a production throughput capable of exceeding 15,000 battery cells per day. The commercial initiative builds on multi-year state and federal support aimed at establishing regional industrial capabilities.
“Building a strong domestic battery ecosystem is critical to our nation’s economic competitiveness and national security. That’s why we’ve worked over the last six years to secure more than $50 million in federal funding to advance these efforts in North Dakota,” Sen. John Hoeven said. “Badland Batteries’ investment in North Dakota advances our efforts to strengthen American manufacturing, create high-quality jobs and reduce dependence on foreign sources for critical technologies. This facility demonstrates how North Dakota continues to lead in innovation and contribute to our nation’s energy and defense priorities.”
The commissioning of the Fargo site signals broader momentum toward domestic energy autonomy and high-reliability hardware manufacturing for strategic applications.
“This facility is more than a manufacturing plant,” Zimmerman said. “It is a statement that America can reshore critical industries, create meaningful careers and develop the technologies that will power the future.”
