NEWS
24
2026
-
07
The Lithium-Ion Upgrade of an AGV Fleet in a Cold-Chain Warehouse
Taicang, Jiangsu - a large cold-chain logistics distribution centre, 2:00 a.m. Inside the –18°C freezer, sixteen automated guided vehicles (AGVs) silently weave between the racks, moving pallet after pallet of frozen food from the receiving area to their designated storage slots.
Taicang, Jiangsu - a large cold-chain logistics distribution centre, 2:00 a.m. Inside the –18°C freezer, sixteen automated guided vehicles (AGVs) silently weave between the racks, moving pallet after pallet of frozen food from the receiving area to their designated storage slots. On the dispatch centre's big screen, the real-time status of each AGV is clearly displayed - battery level, task progress, travel path - everything running like clockwork.
This Taicang cold-chain logistics hub is a major frozen food distribution centre in eastern China, with an average daily throughput of over 500 tonnes. In 2022, to boost operational efficiency, the warehouse introduced sixteen AGVs for goods movement inside the freezer.
While operational efficiency did improve, the AGVs' runtime in the cold-chain environment was severely reduced. Lao Zhang ran the numbers: an AGV could run for 8 hours continuously on a full charge at room temperature, but inside the –18°C freezer, actual runtime was less than 5 hours. That meant each AGV needed at least two battery changes per day.
"The most exhausting part was the battery swaps," says Lao Zhang. "When an AGV ran out of power, we had to manually drive it back to the charging zone, remove the heavy lead-acid battery, replace it with a fully charged one, and then carry the dead battery over to charge. Each battery weighed over 50 kilograms - and with dozens of swaps a day, the workers could barely straighten their backs."
Even more frustrating was the charging speed of lead-acid batteries. A full charge took 8 to 10 hours - meaning the warehouse had to keep at least three sets of spare batteries on hand just to maintain AGV rotation. Battery procurement costs were high, they took up valuable storage space, maintenance was cumbersome, and lead-acid batteries degraded quickly under frequent deep charge-discharge cycles - typically needing complete replacement after just a year and a half.
By the end of 2024, the cold-chain logistics centre decided to carry out a comprehensive upgrade of the AGV fleet's power system. Lao Zhang and his team evaluated multiple battery suppliers and ultimately settled on Wysher's dedicated AGV lithium-ion battery solution.
"Wysher recommended their 48V series AGV-specific LiFePO₄ batteries," says Lao Zhang. "LiFePO₄ performs far better than lead-acid in low-temperature environments, supports fast charging, has a long cycle life, and requires virtually no maintenance."
Wysher's AGV batteries use self-developed LiFePO₄ cells, integrated with a smart BMS and industrial-grade protection design. To address the specific demands of cold-chain applications, Wysher also equipped these batteries with a self-heating system - heating films and temperature sensors are built into the battery pack. When the cell temperature drops below 5°C, the heating film automatically activates to raise the battery temperature above 10°C. This system solves the core pain points of reduced discharge performance and slow charging in low-temperature environments.
"Wysher's engineers spent three days on-site at our warehouse," says Lao Zhang. "They stayed inside the –18°C freezer for two full days, recording the AGVs' operational rhythm, charge-discharge frequency, and temperature variations - then custom-designed a complete solution for us."
The Final System Configuration
After detailed on-site surveys and system design, Wysher developed a complete lithium-ion upgrade solution for this cold-chain logistics centre's AGV fleet:
Component | Model | Qty |
AGV traction batteries | Wysher 48V AGV-specific LiFePO₄ | 16 units |
Smart charging system | Wysher matching fast-charge stations | 4 units |
Battery management | Integrated smart BMS | - |
Remote monitoring platform | Wysher cloud monitoring system | 1 set |
(Note: The above reflects the actual setup at the Taicang cold-chain logistics centre. Wysher's 48V AGV-specific batteries feature a modular design and are compatible with multiple AGV models. The built-in self-heating system ensures stable operation in temperatures from –18°C to –25°C. The smart BMS provides five layers of protection: over-charge, over-discharge, over-current, short-circuit, and over-temperature.)
The retrofit was carried out in batches around the Spring Festival of 2025. The original lead-acid battery compartments were emptied, and the Wysher LiFePO₄ battery packs were precisely installed in the AGVs' existing chassis positions - dimensions and connectors matched perfectly, requiring no structural modifications to the AGVs.
"The installation went much more smoothly than we expected," says Lao Zhang. "Wysher's engineers supervised on-site, and swapping the battery on one AGV took less than an hour. Sixteen units, swapped in batches - some being converted while others kept running - without disrupting normal operations."
During the first test after the battery swap, Lao Zhang noticed the difference immediately.
First, runtime. The old lead-acid batteries could barely run for 5 hours inside the freezer. After switching to LiFePO₄ with the self-heating system, runtime increased to nearly 9 hours - almost double.
"Before, each AGV needed at least two battery changes a day. Now, once a day is enough," says Lao Zhang. "And LiFePO₄ supports fast charging - when an AGV runs low, it automatically returns to the charging zone, and a 1-hour fast charge brings it back to over 80%. By the time the lunch break is over, the battery is pretty much topped up."
Second, maintenance. Lead-acid batteries required regular watering, terminal cleaning, and equalisation charging - operations that are especially troublesome in cold-chain environments. LiFePO₄ batteries, by contrast, are completely maintenance-free, requiring no manual intervention.
"Before, we had two workers dedicated to battery maintenance and swaps," says Lao Zhang. "Now one person is enough, and their workload has been cut by more than half."
In the winter of 2025, the temperature outside the freezer dropped to –10°C, while the freezer stayed at –18°C. Under these extreme conditions, the self-heating system in Wysher's LiFePO₄ batteries proved critical.
"When the batteries first entered the freezer, the temperature sensors detected that the cell temperature was below 5°C, and the self-heating system automatically kicked in," says Lao Zhang. "After the heating films raised the battery temperature above 10°C, the AGVs began high-current discharge operations. Throughout the process, battery capacity hardly degraded at all due to the low temperature."
Data showed that in the –18°C freezer environment, Wysher's LiFePO₄ batteries maintained over 85% capacity retention. By comparison, lead-acid batteries at the same temperature achieved less than 60% capacity retention.
What gave Lao Zhang even greater peace of mind was the intelligent BMS management. The battery status of each AGV is uploaded in real time via the Wysher cloud monitoring platform - Lao Zhang can see every AGV's battery level, temperature, state of health, and cycle count on the big screen in the dispatch room. If any battery shows an anomaly, the system automatically alerts and provides maintenance recommendations.
Cold-chain logistics is one of the fastest-growing application areas for AGVs. Cold-storage AGVs must use low-temperature LiFePO₄ batteries with self-heating systems - a technical requirement that is rapidly becoming an industry standard. Wysher's dedicated AGV LiFePO₄ battery solution offers a mature, reliable, and field-proven option for this high-growth sector.
According to industry statistics, China's cold-chain logistics market has surpassed RMB 500 billion, with annual growth rates above 15%. With the explosive growth of e-commerce fresh food, prepared meals, and other sectors, the demand for automation in cold-chain warehouses will continue to rise - and a reliable, long-life, intelligent AGV battery system is becoming an essential requirement for smart cold-chain storage.
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