One researcher I spoke with on the time recommended that sodium-ion batteries won’t compete straight with lithium-ion batteries however may as an alternative discover specialised makes use of the place the chemistry made sense. Two years later, I feel we’re beginning to see what these are.
One rising phase that could possibly be an enormous win for sodium-ion: electrical micromobility automobiles, like scooters and three-wheelers. Since these automobiles are likely to journey shorter distances at decrease speeds than vehicles, the decrease power density of sodium-ion batteries won’t be as huge a deal.
There’s an excellent BBC story from final week that profiled efforts to place sodium-ion batteries in electrical scooters. It centered on one Chinese language firm referred to as Yadea, which is among the largest makers of electrical two- and three-wheelers on the planet. Yadea has introduced a handful of sodium-powered fashions to the market to date, promoting about 1,000 of the scooters within the first three months of 2025, in response to the corporate’s assertion to the BBC. It’s early days, however it’s attention-grabbing to see this market rising.
Sodium-ion batteries are additionally seeing important progress in stationary power storage installations, together with some on the grid. (Once more, when you’re not fearful about carting the battery round and becoming it into the restricted package deal of a automobile, power density isn’t so vital.)
The Baochi Vitality Storage Station that simply opened in Yunnan province, China, is a hybrid system that makes use of each lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries and has a capability of 400 megawatt-hours. And Natron Vitality within the US is amongst these concentrating on different prospects for stationary storage, particularly going after information facilities.
Whereas smaller automobiles and stationary installations seem like the early wins for sodium, some corporations aren’t giving up on utilizing the choice for EVs as effectively. The Chinese language battery big CATL introduced earlier this yr that it plans to supply sodium-ion batteries for heavy-duty vans below the model identify Naxtra Battery.
Finally, lithium is the juggernaut of the battery business, and going face to face goes to be powerful for any various chemistry. However sticking with niches that make sense may assist sodium-ion make progress at a time after I’d argue we’d like each profitable battery kind we will get.
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