CATL bets on sodium batteries and starts mass production

The world's largest battery manufacturer, Chinese company CATL, last week launched a new sodium battery (Na-Ion) that is designed for electromobility. The company's intention is to restructure the electric vehicle industry.

Sodium-ion batteries (SiB) offer an affordable and greener alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries thanks to the readily available sodium. They are safer, less prone to overheating, reducing the risk of fire. Their production does not require precious metals.

Main advantages
Cars with a battery that does not need lithium will soon be on the market. Its base is sodium. The battery giant CATL is betting on this trend and is the first in the world to start mass production of new sodium-ion batteries under the Naxtra brand from June.

The main advantages of the new Naxtra sodium battery include a long lifetime of up to 10,000 charge cycles, retention of 90% capacity at low charging temperatures down to -40°C and the ability to charge from 30% to 80% in 10 minutes.

The battery has an energy density of up to 175Wh/kg, which is close to traditional LFP batteries (185Wh/kg).

Sodium batteries are considered to be a cheaper and in some ways safer alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in electronics and electric vehicles, but pose a fire risk if damaged.

Mass production
The mass production of the Naxtra battery reflects CATL's efforts not only to position itself as the global market leader in sodium-ion batteries for EVs, but also to counter soaring lithium prices, which have more than doubled by 2022 and led to higher production costs for LFP batteries, affecting most Chinese EV manufacturers.

CATL founder and CEO Robin Zeng Yuqun has previously stated that sodium batteries could potentially replace up to half of the global LFP battery market.

"We will achieve mass production of the Naxtra battery by the end of this year. This will restructure the whole industry," CATL marketing director Luo Jian said at a press conference in Shanghai last week.

The company currently produces more than a third of all electric vehicle (EV) batteries sold worldwide and works with major brands such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen.

"The sodium-ion batteries have left the lab testing phase and are now ready for commercial production," Robin Zeng, CEO of CATL, told a press conference.