High-voltage lithium batteries for electric GPUs in the Ground Support Equipment sector
25 February 2026
The electrification of industrial machinery and special-purpose vehicles is no longer an emerging trend but an increasingly widespread strategic choice in high-intensity operational sectors such as airports. Indeed, one of Flash Battery's most challenging projects was developed precisely for this industry: a range of custom high-voltage lithium batteries designed specifically for electric GPUs (Ground Power Units), engineered as an industrial high-voltage battery system fully integrated into the machine’s electrical architecture and produced for a leading international ground support equipment manufacturer. It's an integrated journey that began as a technological upgrade and led to the start of large-scale production of the battery pack.
The project was originally launched to meet the stringent requirements of the airport sector but now demonstrates the absolute versatility of the application, also being deployed in complex environments such as ports and construction sites where reliable energy is a critical factor and charging infrastructure is often limited.
Electrification of ground support equipment in the airport sector
Airports around the world never sleep: every day millions of passengers and tonnes of cargo move across runways, terminals and aprons, pushing operations to unprecedented levels. In this constant movement, efficiency and sustainability are no longer optional choices: they’re the compass guiding manufacturers and operators towards the future.
Increasingly stringent European emissions regulations are pushing manufacturers and airport operators to rethink their infrastructure and equipment. The transition towards electric solutions is now a strategic priority, especially in the world of ground support equipment (GSE): GPUs, tow tractors, pushbacks, belt loaders, PRM platforms, passenger stairs, tractors and special-purpose vehicles that ensure aircraft operations on the ground.
Electrifying this equipment means:
- Reducing emissions and noise
- Increasing operational reliability
- Reducing total cost of ownership
- Improving fleet energy flexibility
For over 12 years Flash Battery has supported leading international OEMs and ground handlers in the development of customised lithium solutions designed to meet the most complex requirements of the GSE sector. A tailored approach that makes it possible to electrify any vehicle, optimising performance and ensuring more sustainable operations.
Among the most significant innovations, the electric GPU stands out as a strategic solution for powering aircraft auxiliary services on the ground. Although originally developed for airport use, the GPU has proven to be extremely versatile in settings such as ports and construction sites, where electrical infrastructure is often limited. For this reason, it’s worth looking beyond traditional airport applications and recognising the Ground Power Unit’s ability to deliver stable, autonomous and safe energy wherever power is unavailable or insufficient.
It is precisely this dual nature – both specialist and cross-sector – that makes the GPU an ideal application for showcasing Flash Battery’s bespoke design approach.
Electric GPU powered by a high-voltage battery system operating on an aircraft in the airport sector
The project first took shape in 2019 as part of a collaboration with an international ground support equipment manufacturer active in major European, US and Middle Eastern airports.
The goal was to deliver an advanced technological upgrade for an existing high-voltage solution, improving its integration within the GPU’s electrical architecture and raising standards of safety, reliability and operational continuity.
In its previous configuration, the electric GPU used a modular solution made up of small battery units with basic electronic controls. This configuration required the GPU manufacturer to manage:
- Highly complex assembly
- Numerous modules connected in series and parallel
- External non-integrated auxiliary components
- Long assembly times
- Overall poor quality
In a high-voltage system this fragmentation translated into lower overall reliability, increased operating costs and greater management complexity across the machine’s life cycle.
Flash Battery thus developed an integrated high-voltage battery system designed to simplify the architecture, reduce the number of components and improve the overall efficiency of the electric GPU.
Design of a custom HV battery for airport applications
From the first discussions with the customer it was clear that this was a highly complex engineering project. Flash Battery was engaged to overcome the limitations of existing modular solutions, tackling a particularly demanding challenge that required close collaboration between our R&D team and the customer’s technical team.
The objective required concentrating high levels of energy in a reduced space while ensuring full compliance with the main international standards for industrial high-voltage batteries, including requirements for transport and electrical and electromagnetic safety.
But the complexity went beyond just the design: the aim was to deliver a solution that could be industrialised, tested and maintained throughout its entire life cycle.
The most important elements of the project included:
- Integration of safety systems (insulation monitoring, pre-charge, MSD etc.).
- Implementation of advanced management logics required by the customer.
- Ability to use batteries in parallel to achieve high energy storage capacity.
- Industrialisation of HV batteries.
- Design to pass the tests required by the project: safety, mechanical, EMC and sector-specific.
- After-sales design.
These requirements made a fully custom design approach necessary, capable of raising the operational standards of the electric GPU.
Development and testing of a custom electronic board for a high-voltage battery system in the Flash Battery R&D laboratory
The project led to the development of a range of HV lithium batteries for electric GPUs, designed to meet different operational needs with two main energy capacities:
- 500V – 250Ah (125kWh)
- 500V – 100Ah (50kWh)
Both configurations use LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry, chosen to ensure maximum safety, stability and a service life of over 4,000 cycles, guaranteeing high performance even in demanding operating conditions.
Creating two battery capacities makes it possible to store large amounts of energy using only a few batteries in parallel. This drastically reduces the number of components, simplifies the architecture and lowers the cost of the overall solution. This energy modularity makes it possible to electrify different types of GPU, ensuring operational flexibility, full integration with the machine and consistent reliability throughout the system’s life cycle.
But the battery isn’t just an energy storage unit. It’s an active part of the machine because it integrates all key systems internally:
- Insulation monitoring
- MSD (Manual Service Disconnect)
- HVIL
- Heating system
- Data logger
- Gas sensor
- Integrated fire extinguishers
- 4G connectivity for remote monitoring and predictive maintenance
In addition to the hardware, the firmware in this application was also customised to implement specific functions required by the OEM. Thanks to the integration of a 4G connection, the customer can monitor the entire fleet of GPUs distributed across multiple airports in real time, centralising fleet management, anticipating maintenance actions and optimising the operational performance of its GSE fleets.
This 4G connection, integrated with the Flash Data Center remote monitoring system, enables continuous monitoring of battery parameters, accurately identifying the batteries’ state of health and sending proactive alerts in the event of any critical issues. This data-driven approach makes it possible to implement predictive battery maintenance strategies, reduce unplanned downtime and optimise the Total Cost of Ownership of the entire GSE fleet.
In this context, safety was conceived as an active, multi-layer system: the integration of gas sensors allows continuous monitoring of the battery pack’s operating conditions, enabling early detection of anomalies and activation of preventive protection strategies. This approach is completed with the integrated fire extinguishers, which offer an additional layer of protection as they are designed to react automatically and locally in the event of a critical incident, thus reducing the risk of propagation and increasing protection for the machine, the operating environment and operators.
The combination of high-voltage technology, integrated architecture and advanced connectivity transforms the solution into a true competitive advantage for OEMs and fleet managers, making the electric GPU a complete, safe and easy-to-manage system.
HV battery pack specifically designed and manufactured by Flash Battery for electric GPUs and tailored solutions in the GSE and industrial sectors
What truly made the difference in this project was Flash Battery’s collaborative approach. This wasn’t just a battery order, it was an actual co-design process based on attentive listening, technical expertise and a long-term vision.
From the earliest stages, our Research and Development team worked closely with the customer’s R&D team, establishing an ongoing technical dialogue that made it possible to analyse operational requirements beyond the initial specifications, assessing application constraints, usage scenarios and future objectives. This method built a strong relationship of trust, transforming Flash Battery into a strategic partner rather than a simple supplier.
The customer chose Flash Battery for its ability to tackle a complex project, move away from modular solutions with small batteries and develop a tailor-made battery designed specifically to increase the efficiency of the high-voltage electric GPU.
From a technological standpoint, a decisive factor was the switch to LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry, which is safer, more stable and longer-lasting in terms of life cycle, thus ensuring an optimised TCO compared with previous solutions. The large-format battery architecture also delivered tangible benefits, reducing the number of connections and components, speeding up diagnostics and making after-sales service significantly more efficient.
“This project was particularly stimulating and ambitious because it pushed us to raise the bar of the technologies in our portfolio. To meet this challenge we developed batteries capable of combining advanced performance and safety, conforming to several internationally recognised standards. The batteries comply with transport requirements under UN 38.3 and industrial safety requirements under IEC 62619, and are supplied with self-declarations of conformity supported by documented tests. Functional safety tests linked to the battery management system (BMS), drop tests and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests were carried out in accordance with EN 61000-6-2, EN 61000-6-4 and the testing methods set out in IEC 62311 (with direct measurement according to 62233). In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, the batteries meet the requirements of the European Directives LVD (2014/35/EU), where applicable, and EMC (2014/30/EU), thus ensuring reliable, safe performance even in complex industrial environments throughout the EU market.
Moreover, the high level of flexibility required to install the application led to the development of a dynamic configuration system capable of enabling the combined operation of batteries with different capacities on the same machine. At the same time, it was essential to optimise the production flow, introducing dedicated equipment and checks to ensure the quality of the assembly and operator safety on the production line.
The project proved successful because the system integrated seamlessly with the machine’s electrical and electronic system, delivering performance that is fully in line with IATA standards and passing stringent certification tests. The technologies developed for this system paved the way for numerous subsequent applications”.
The operational benefits were clearly measurable from the moment the batteries were installed on the electric GPUs: reduced costs, greater system reliability and significantly simplified management of after-sales support. The effectiveness of the solution accelerated its extension to other types of ground support equipment, such as airport tractors, further expanding the possibilities for integration within GSE fleets.
Today the project stands as a reference case for international markets, with over 420 batteries in operation and more than 33MWh of installed energy, distributed across Europe, the United States and the Middle East, making a tangible contribution to airport electrification processes at major international hubs. This result was built over time, starting in 2019 and continuing with a process of ongoing collaboration between Flash Battery’s R&D, IT, Sales and After-Sales functions and the customer’s technical and operational teams, supporting the evolution of the solution in response to the sector’s real-world needs.
This experience shows how an approach based on continuous co-design can translate into reliable, scalable solutions capable of adapting to different operating contexts and markets throughout the product life cycle.
In the coming years the evolution of airport infrastructure towards carbon-neutral models will require increasingly integrated, intelligent and interoperable high-voltage storage systems. The architectures developed in this project represent a scalable technology platform for future generations of electrified ground support equipment.
