NASA’s Freeze-Resistant Moon Battery Could Eventually Reach EVs | OilPrice.com
Haley Zaremba
Haley Zaremba is an energy journalist and researcher with more than a decade of professional experience covering global energy systems, land and natural resources, and…
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By Haley Zaremba – Oct 23, 2026, 3:00 PM CDT
- Prototype solid-state cells from NASA’s SPEARS project survived minus 274 degrees Fahrenheit without damage and ran, at reduced performance, down to minus 112 degrees.
- Solid electrolytes avoid the freezing and fire risks of the liquid ones in lithium-ion cells, a fit for a lunar South Pole where temperatures can fall to minus 328 degrees.
- The cells are still lab prototypes that have not flown, but NASA sees possible spinoffs for EVs, drones, phones and grid storage.
The United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed a revolutionary new battery that could power the country’s return to the moon while potentially also revolutionizing the way that we power electric vehicles here on Earth. The new technology can function at extremely cold temperatures, opening new possibilities for powering lunar rovers and tools, and could eventually make batteries for terrestrial applications safer, more versatile, and more efficient.
“The technology could eventually power lunar rovers, scientific instruments, and emergency equipment used by astronauts under NASA’s Artemis program,” states a recent report from Interesting Engineering. “However, the batteries remain small laboratory prototypes and have not yet been demonstrated in space,” the article goes on to note.
During thermal vacuum testing conducted as part of NASA’s Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space (SPEARS) project, the new ‘freeze-proof’ solid-state battery has successfully endured temperatures as low as 274 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (minus 170 degrees Celsius). In addition to surviving these superlow temperatures without damage, the prototype batteries proved operational (although at a reduced performance level) in temperatures as low as 112 degrees Fahrenheit below zero minus 80 degrees Celsius), with more optimal levels of performance in the extremely impressive range of negative 76 to positive 176 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 to 80 degrees Celsius).
These findings are a big win for the SPEARS project, which is charged with developing batteries that can survive the extremely harsh lunar environment without a constant source of heat to keep them from freezing and thereby becoming damaged. On the South Pole of the moon, where the United States aims to go, temperatures can drop as low as 328 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (minus 200 degrees Celsius).
Traditional lithium-ion battery models are no match for such harsh conditions. Typically, lithium-ion batteries pass lithium ions from electrode to electrode through liquid electrolytes. Solid-state batteries are therefore a far more promising technology for extreme cold, as they don’t carry the same risk of freezing in the cold and performing poorly in the heat.
Plus, the liquid electrolytes used in typical lithium-ion batteries are highly flammable and are becoming an increasingly serious fire hazard around the world. “Plain and simple, solid electrolytes provide a safer and more stable environment for lithium ions to move through, enabling faster charging,” Popular Mechanics wrote late last year in an article about emerging electric vehicle (EV) battery technologies.
While the EV industry doesn’t need batteries that can withstand temperatures in the hundreds of degrees below zero (at least not until Elon Musk colonizes Mars), NASA’s incredible breakthroughs in solid-state battery technologies could provide critical science and technology to the sector. The SPEARS project’s findings “could eventually translate into commercial terrestrial applications,” according to recent reporting from HotHardware. “Space-rated solid-state tech could very well enhance the safety, temperature tolerance, and efficiency of Earth-bound electronics, including EVs, commercial drones, cell phones, and grid-scale energy storage systems operating in extreme climates. For EVs specifically, this battery breakthrough could, in theory, lead to longer ranges in colder climates and/or during frigid winter months.”
Moreover, SPEARS is not the only project bringing together NASA’s astronautic aims with the country’s broader energy development goals. NASA has also partnered with the United States Department of Energy to develop next-generation nuclear energy technologies to power a new era of deep space exploration. “We are entering the ‘Nuclear NASA-era,’ which represents a major transformation for space exploration,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said earlier this month. “Nuclear power will allow us to go farther, operate longer, and field more capable spacecraft and instruments than ever before. The work we’re doing today is laying the foundation for the fission-powered spacecraft of tomorrow and opening an entirely new frontier for exploration and discovery.”
By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com
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Haley Zaremba
Haley Zaremba is an energy journalist and researcher with more than a decade of professional experience covering global energy systems, land and natural resources, and…
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