Some expect sodium, which is cheaper and more readily available than such materials as lithium, cobalt and nickel, to power the next generation of EV battery technology. Now Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) says it expects to bring its Naxtra sodium-ion EV battery pack into mass production by the end of 2025.

“Sodium-ion battery technology is no longer a research achievement in laboratories,” Gao Huan, Chief Technology Officer for EV Business at CATL, told reporters. “We have achieved a breakthrough not only in terms of energy storage density and cost, but also found a new key to environmental protection.”

Gao said the new battery delivers specific energy of 175 Wh/kg, nearly on par with the 185 Wh/kg achieved by the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries currently used in most Chinese-made EVs.

The Naxtra Battery product line includes two categories: the Naxtra passenger EV Battery, which CATL says offers a 500-kilometer range and can achieve over 10,000 cycles; and the Naxtra 24V Heavy-Duty Truck Integrated Start-Stop Battery. Both versions are capable of performing across the full temperature range from -40° C to +70° C.

CATL first unveiled its sodium-ion battery technology in 2021. In 2023, the company said Chery Automobile had become the first customer for its sodium-ion batteries.

Source: CATL, South China Morning Post