Battery safety and security for electric urban air mobility

Electric urban air mobility (eUAM) offers a transformative path for low-emission, high-efficiency aerial transport. However, its reliance on high-performance batteries introduces unprecedented safety and cybersecurity challenges. Different from terrestrial systems, eUAM platforms operate under severe weight, thermal, and power constraints, where midair failure can be catastrophic. Batteries must simultaneously deliver high energy and power density, withstand extreme environments, and tolerate aggressive charging, all with minimal margin for error. This perspective identifies and analyzes the unique safety and security risks facing eUAM batteries, from thermal runaway and form-factor limitations to supply chain vulnerabilities and cyber-physical threats, such as firmware manipulation, electromagnetic interference, and battery management system attacks. We argue for a “safety and security by design” philosophy integrating materials innovation, secure system architectures, AI-driven diagnostics, and aviation-specific standards. Addressing these intertwined risks is essential for building airworthy, certifiable, and resilient battery systems that can enable the future of urban air mobility. Ke et al. present a perspective on battery safety and security for electric urban air mobility (eUAM). They highlight the need for co-designing materials innovation, cybersecurity, and system architecture to ensure that next-generation eUAM batteries are airworthy, resilient, and certifiable under real-world flight conditions.