CBAK Energy previewed two next-generation high-rate lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cylindrical cells aimed at AI data center battery backup unit (BBU) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) designs: the 26650 HP V2.0 and 26650 PFS2 V2.0. The company is targeting the fast, high-current events that show up in GPU-heavy environments, where millisecond-level switching and transient loads can make voltage stability and thermal balance hard problems at the rack and system level.
The cells are 26650-format LFP designs. CBAK Energy lists the 26650 HP V2.0 at 40C and the 26650 PFS2 V2.0 at 38C for high-rate discharge, positioning both against “conventional 15C-class cells.” For short bursts, the company says the cells support up to 100C pulse discharge under specified test conditions. CBAK Energy also calls out internal resistance below 3 mΩ, comparing that to “conventional 12 mΩ-class cells,” with the goal of reducing I²R losses and heat during high-current events such as UPS-to-BBU transitions.
On power output, CBAK Energy puts the 26650 HP V2.0 at 260 W per cell and the 26650 PFS2 V2.0 at 310 W per cell, contrasting that with “approximately 120 W to 200 W” for “industry-standard cylindrical LFP/NMC cells.” The practical implication is straightforward: more watts per cell in the same 26650 envelope can reduce cell count for a given pack power target, which can simplify mechanical packaging and buswork in space-constrained rack-level backup architectures.
For UPS-oriented use cases that need sustained discharge rather than brief pulses, CBAK Energy reports “more than 600 cycles” under specified 5C/10C test conditions, and an operating temperature range of -40°C to 70°C. The company also describes a cell architecture platform that combines materials, electrolyte system, and structural optimizations intended to improve high-rate performance, thermal stability, and space efficiency for AI data center backup deployments.
One blunt engineering takeaway: the numbers that matter here—100C pulse capability, sub-3 mΩ resistance, and per-cell watt output—are all highly dependent on test conditions and pack integration, so operators and UPS/BBU builders will want to scrutinize validation data under their own thermal and electrical constraints before treating these as drop-in improvements.
CBAK Energy said it expects to share additional product details, application guidance, and availability updates in a future product release, and it is seeking early technical discussions with BBU providers, battery pack companies, UPS manufacturers, data center infrastructure partners, and critical power integrators. The company notes that the performance data provided is based on internal laboratory testing under specified conditions.
Source: CBAK Energy
