CATL unveils 2nd-generation sodium-ion EV battery

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has announced its second-generation sodium-ion battery, which it plans to launch in 2025 and is expected to be mass produced by 2027. This comes over three years after the company unveiled the first generation of this battery chemistry back in July 2021.

A big improvement with the second-generation sodium-ion battery is that can discharge normally at temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius, according to Chinese media. This is accompanied by other advantages such as better safety performance and low-temperature resistance while maintaining energy density. These improvements could benefit electric vehicles (EVs), particularly those that have their range affected by extreme temperatures.

Most EVs today use batteries that rely on lithium-based chemistries such as nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), nickel aluminium cobalt (NCA) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP). A sodium-ion battery works in a similar way to these lithium-ion batteries, but carry the charge using sodium ions instead of lithium ions, which are deemed to be more resilient to extreme heat and cold.

Sodium is a soft alkaline metal that is very abundant in nature and is the sixth most common element on Earth. The key raw material used for producing sodium-ion batteries is sodium hydroxide, which costs a lot less that lithium-hydroxide.

However, due to the economies of scale of lithium-ion battery production, it currently costs more to produce sodium-ion batteries, which are relatively new on the commercial scene and lack a strong supply chain. Theoretically, sodium-ion batteries should have cost advantage but until production is scaled up considerably, or the price of lithium shoots up again, it remains a pricey endeavour.

Another current downside of sodium-ion batteries is energy density which means larger packs are needed to compensate, which increases weight. CATL did not disclose a figure but it has been reported that it is aiming to exceed an ambitious 200 Wh/kg. Other disadvantages are a short life cycle and lower operating voltages.

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