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Sodium-ion batteries have been in the works for years, and now sodium-ion batteries have started to appear in cars and home storage. JAC, in a partnership with Volkswagen, has been shipping a vehicle called the Sehol or E10X with sodium-ion batteries since 2023. Recently, Bluetti introduced the Pioneer Na(sodium) portable power station. This is just the beginning.
Photo of JAC Sehol E10X by “User3204” (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).
HiNa supplied sodium-ion batteries for JAC Motors in 2023. Early batteries had lower gravimetric energy density (145 Wh/kg) and volumetric energy density (330 Wh/liter) than LFP, but sodium-ion batteries have already improved since then. They have outstanding temperature range, yielding 88% retention at -20°C. For reference, the discharge capacity of NMC at 0°C, −10°C and −20°C is only 80%, 53%, and 23% of that at 25°C. The HiNa batteries had a cycle life of 4,500 cycles with 83% retention and a 2C charge rate, but even better sodium-ion batteries are on their way.
HiNa opened a 1 GWh sodium-ion battery factory in December 2022. Since then, both BYD and CATL have opened huge sodium-ion battery factories. The investment is there and indicates a permanent presence for sodium.
Since then, CATL has thrown its hat into the ring with the Naxtra sodium-ion battery, with 175 Wh/kg and 10,000 lifetime cycles along with operation from -40°C to 70°C. CATL is planning a start-stop battery for trucks using the technology. It has the potential to replace lead-acid batteries. CATL has announced battery pricing at the cell level in volume at $19/kWh.
BYD, a major competitor to CATL, has not stood still either. BYD opened a sodium-ion battery factory in 2024, and is producing a large sodium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) called MC Cube-T with a capacity of 6.4 MWh. BYD’s sodium battery factory has a massive planned capacity of 30 GWh annually. These companies mean business. Sodium ion is here to stay.
These developments point the way to much more. The cost of sodium battery materials is much lower than for any lithium battery. There are no resource bottleneck materials like cobalt or lithium to contend with. In addition, aluminum can be used for electrodes, whereas lithium requires copper for one of the electrodes. Carbon or graphite and separator materials will be similar, but in all other respects, sodium has much lower material costs. Compared to LFP, sodium does not require phosphorous, a substance that is almost exclusively sourced from one state in north Africa, nor lithium, a relatively abundant but more expensive substance than sodium. LFP cannot compete on material costs or temperature range, and both BYD and CATL expect to phase it out first in energy storage.
Implications are Clear for the Future
Availability of such a low-cost, wide-temperature-range battery makes a wide range of applications possible that were not available before. While batteries have enabled passenger car developments, they have been somewhat stymied in large mobile power applications like shipping and electric trucks. That day is gone now. At these costs, electric shipping is achievable and the debate over alternative fuels will fall off quickly as applications are realized. Batteries with similar characteristics, like LFP, already offer reasonable range and cargo-carrying capacity for long-distance shipping. These developments push that over the top and set electric shipping at parity with legacy fossil fuel shipping and beyond when maintenance and all cost factors are considered.
In cars, sodium puts passenger vehicles well beyond parity into the “why are we doing this anymore?” category in comparison with ICE (internal combustion engines). Combustion makes no sense whatsoever when the alternative lasts for hundreds of thousands of miles and works with ambient temperatures from -40°C to 70°C. There are literally no more excuses any more. Not range, not charging speed, not cost. The first sodium-ion battery cars were already shipping in China years ago and have been shipped to South America. In both places, they seriously undercut the first cost of any equivalent internal combustion vehicle. Now, in a short time, they have improved to compete and beat lithium-ion batteries.
As of now, LFP does the bulk of truck applications in China, where over 90% of the world’s heavy electric trucks exist. Sodium-ion batteries are expected to displace LFP in energy storage and heavy truck applications. The implications are far wider than that, however. For other applications sensitive to energy storage cost, the cost drops dramatically. In particular, swap stations and fast charging stations with battery buffering drop, changing the picture dramatically. Implementation of those should increase with lower capital costs. Electric shipping will go from slow lane to fast lane as the advantages of sodium are realized. Already, CATL has announced a partnership with Maersk, hinting at future developments in that area.
It is likely other applications, like replacements for lead-acid batteries with sodium, will appear, but many others are likely. Renewables will benefit greatly, with costs for storage so low that the complaints of variability and cost vanish. While existing lithium batteries have changed the world in so many ways, the presence of sodium-ion batteries can be expected to transform our world faster. The sheer quantity of batteries and electrification made possible by the presence of lower-cost, higher-capability batteries makes the changes in electrification to date pale by comparison. About the only field left to conquer in battery storage is high-density, high-power applications like aircraft, but more breakthroughs are on their way in the form of lithium-sulfur and solid-state batteries.
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