Air transport New state of charge 30% from 2026 for large lithium ion batteries packed with equipment UN 3481 and for vehicles

Air transport New state of charge 30% from 2026 for large lithium ion batteries packed with equipment UN 3481 and for vehicles

Air transport New state of charge 30% from 2026 for large lithium ion batteries packed with equipment UN 3481 and for vehicles

Good morning dear Lithium Battery Service Customers,

Air transport: State of Charge from 2026 onwards

This newsletter should in its original version inform you that the recording and presentation to our online seminar on new and changed regulations 2024/2025 are available after login to our portal under Downloads.

But now some statements we made this past Friday are obsolete so that adding information to the recording and presentation makes sense.

The ICAO DGP that met from 13.-17.11.2023 has decided on far-reaching changes for 2026 concerning the state of charge in air transport.

The protocol of the DGP will still take a while to be published, yet Dave Brennan describes the changes as follows:

For vehicles where the Watt-hour rating exceeds 100 Wh, there is a recommendation that they be shipped at 30% SoC from 1 January - 31 December 2025. From 1 January 2026 it is mandatory. For vehicles where the battery does not exceed 100 Wh it remains a recommendation.

For UN 3481, Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment, where the lithium ion battery exceeds 2.7 Wh, there is a recommendation that the battery be shipped at 30% SoC from 1 January - 31 December 2025. From 1 January 2026 it is mandatory.

For UN 3481, Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment, there is a recommendation that the battery be shipped at 30% SoC. This remains a recommendation.“

This has been in discussion for quite a while as you know.

Yet that such extensive decisions on the state of charge would be decided was by no means to be expected before the DGP took place.

Now already verifying the state of charge through the authorities is difficult, because a refernce to a standard for the measuring equipment is missing.

It would be desirable that in the course of implementing these measures this topic would be adressed and first of all that the supervisory authorities would get more resources to more effectively prosecute those companies that ignore the regulations and by doing so endanger the safety in transport.

Feel free to send us your remarks and questions.

All the best,

Your Lithium Battery Service Team

Eva Glimsche and Juergen Werny