China’s Changan Automobile and battery giant CATL have unveiled what they claim is the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle powered by sodium-ion batteries. It’s a major step for a technology that has long been seen as a lower-cost, safer alternative to lithium-based systems.

The car, a variant of Changan’s Nevo A06 sedan, contains a 45 kWh CATL ‘Naxtra’ sodium-ion battery. Reportedly, the model can achieve 400 km of range under an optimistic Chinese test cycle, which isn’t particularly impressive. But it’s nonetheless a milestone driven by a sharply rising interest in sodium-ion chemistry, especially in China, as lithium prices soar and supply chains tighten.

‘Dual chemistry’

CATL, the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer, baptised the debut as “the dawn of a dual chemistry era”, claiming that sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries will co-exist to serve different needs.

How does that work? Well, in theory, the Naxtra battery offers three major advantages over current mainstream chemistries: cold-weather resilience, lower cost, and greater safety.

Laboratory tests show the battery retains over 90% of its capacity at -40°C and remains functional at -50°C. In cold regions – including northern China, Scandinavia, and parts of the US and Canada – where lithium EVs suffer significant range loss, this could prove critical.

This downside was recently demonstrated in the Norwegian NAF range test, where the participating cars lost between 30 and 50% of their capacity during a race-to-empty to crown the longest autonomy.

The trade-off

CATL claims its sodium-ion cells deliver nearly triple the power of comparable LFP batteries at sub-zero temperatures. For now, however, the sodium-powered Nevo trails its lithium-powered siblings in rated range, which has comparable capacities reaching up to 630 kilometers. So, there’s definitely a trade-off.

But the benefits of sodium-ion reach beyond winter performance. Sodium, which is basically salt, is abundant and less volatile than lithium. CATL’s tests also demonstrated how the cells withstood punctures, crushing, and even sawing without igniting.

That could ease concerns about fire that have plagued EV makers for over a decade. Nowadays, Chinese carmakers must also comply with the nation’s new regulations requiring fire-resistant packs and mechanical door handles, following a series of worrisome accidents. 

A strategic choice

But the arrival of sodium-ion is as much about technology as it is about strategy. As Western nations look to reduce dependence on Chinese-controlled lithium supply chains, sodium-ion offers a potential route to diversification. 

Battery companies in Europe, such as Volvo-backed Altris and France’s Tiamat, are developing their own sodium-ion architectures, though most remain focused on stationary storage for now. Germany has pledged €20 million to a sodium-ion plant, while General Motors and Stellantis are actively exploring the chemistry.

So far, sodium’s main limitations are that its energy density lags behind lithium chemistries and that it usually carries a weight penalty. These batteries can be significantly heavier, almost 50% more than equivalent lithium-ion packs.

However, CATL’s Naxtra battery is a second-generation version and achieves a comparable energy density to LFP: 175 Wh/kg. Though Changan hasn’t released the kerb weight of the Nevo A06 sedan, it should theoretically share its weight with the LFP version, which lands at 1,750 kilograms. 

Most importantly, the arrival of the Nevo A06 means sodium-ion technology is scaling beyond its niche. And, for now, China has beaten the others again in speed, although the technology is currently being deployed mostly for domestic roads.

But Changan is also the mother company of Deepal, which serves as the technology donor for the Mazda 6e and CX-6e. That might provide a bridge to Europe…

Leading in tech and speed

BYD, China’s other EV and battery heavyweight, is also advancing sodium-ion technology, but on a notably slower commercial timeline. The company recently revealed a new-generation sodium-ion cell boasting up to 10,000 charge cycles in laboratory conditions, alongside parallel work on solid-state batteries.

Yet while BYD is still talking about pilot applications around 2027, CATL and Changan have already put sodium-ion packs into a series-production car. The contrast is telling: even within China, some players are still validating the chemistry, while others are already scaling it.

Outside China, the gap is wider still – Western firms remain largely focused on stationary storage or long-term R&D. As so often in batteries, China isn’t just leading in technology but also in speed to market.