CATL to propel the EV world into cheaper sodium-ion batteries

The world leader in EV batteries, Chinese CATL, which provides more than a third of the global needs, announced three innovations for the following months, with one that could change the industry drastically: it will be the first to start mass production of sodium-ion (Na+) batteries by the end of this year.

Sodium is abundant on Earth. It’s basically simple salt, and it promises cheaper but safer, less fire-prone batteries. These batteries, launched under the Naxtra brand, can withstand extreme cold and compete with today’s LFP batteries in performance. CATL, which built its success on LFP tech, says it might take half of the LFP battery market in a few years.

Powering 18.32 million vehicles

The potential is enormous, as CATL today powers over 18.32 million cars equipped with its batteries, including Western brands like Tesla, Ford, Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes, or BMW for its upcoming Neue Klasse. According to the company’s chief technology officer, Gao Huan, these vehicles run globally in more than 66 countries.

The new Naxtra sodium-ion battery will first be produced for trucks; the Naxtra 24V heavy-duty truck start-stop battery and later for plug-in hybrids and EVs as an alternative to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

Drilling and sawing trough

The advantages are multiple. It already reaches energy densities of 175Wh/kg, the highest in the world for sodium-ion batteries and comparable with the better LFP batteries.

As the company said, they are safer, as CATL pushed them to their limits in tests including multi-sided compression, needle penetration, electric drill penetration, and sawing through the battery. Without fire or exploding, if you get the drift.

Unlike most other lithium batteries, they don’t fear the cold without losing capacity. CATL claims that at -30°C, the battery can still charge from 30% to 80% in 30 minutes while maintaining 93% of its capacity.

Even with almost no more ‘juice’ in it, with a 10% state of charge (SOC), vehicles can maintain highway speeds of 120km/h. And it has a predicted lifespan of more than 10,000 charging cycles.

520 km range in five minutes

The other two announcements concern improvements to the existing battery tech. For example, the second generation of CATL’s Shenxing fast-charging battery can charge an extra 520 km (CLTC) range in five minutes or go from 0% charge to 80% in 15 minutes.

These charging times are almost comparable to the time it takes to fill up a gas tank. And it outperforms the other battery giant from China, BYD, which announced last week that its newest flagship models, the Han L and Tang L, have gone on sale in China. These cars promise megawatt charging (1,000 kW) to recover up to 400 km of range in just 5 minutes.

This new generation offers an 800-kilometer range and a peak charging rate approaching 12C, with maximum charging power up to 1.3 megawatts if you find a fast charger that can provide that. CATL’s Gao Huan said more than 67 new electric vehicle models will be powered by the Shenxing battery this year.

1500 km of range with dual tech

And there is news that will rejoice those paralyzed today by ‘range anxiety’: a battery that promises ranges of up to 1,500 km (CLTC) with one charge. That’s still 1,125  to 1,200 km according to more stringent European WLTP measuring standards.

This “Freevoy Dual-Power Battery” features two “independent energy zones” incorporating CATL’s dual-power architecture and self-forming anode technology. It divides the battery into two independent energy zones—one used as a primary energy area and one for a range extension area—each utilizing different cell materials to leverage their advantages.

“By combining two distinct battery technologies in one package, we’re able to optimize both high-power performance and extended range capabilities,” CATL says. The battery management adjusts how the two energy zones are used according to the vehicle’s driving status and the user’s driving habits.

In combination with (usually more expensive) NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) batteries, the energy density can be increased to more than 1,000 Wh/liter.

Wh/L says something about how much power you get in a given space, especially when that space is limited, like in small cars. Wh/kg is also a way of expressing the energy density, but not interchangeable, as this tells you how much power a system (like a battery or motor) can produce for its weight.