Sodium-ion batteries are launching a breakthrough battle. When will they take on the leading role?
On February 5th, the severe cold in Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia, had not yet dissipated. However, a joint press conference between Changan Automobile and CATL ignited a blazing fire in the sodium - battery industry.
At the "Tianjiu Intelligent New Safety Achievement Release and Global Sodium - Battery Strategy Press Conference", the world's first mass - produced passenger car equipped with CATL's new sodium battery was officially unveiled. Currently, this passenger car has completed winter calibration in Yakeshi. Its range, low - temperature performance, safety, and discharge performance all meet the usage requirements, and it is expected to be officially launched in mid - 2026. Changan Automobile also announced that its Avatr, Deepal, and Changan Qiyuan models will be successively equipped with CATL's new sodium batteries in the future.
The maximum energy density of CATL's new sodium battery is 175Wh/kg. Paired with CATL's third - generation CTP system grouping technology, its pure - electric range can exceed 400 kilometers. For passenger cars equipped with CATL's new sodium battery, the vehicle's discharge power at - 30°C is nearly three times higher than that of conventional lithium - iron models with the same battery capacity. The capacity retention rate exceeds 90% at - 40°C in extremely cold conditions, and it can still discharge stably at - 50°C in extreme environments. In addition, after undergoing extreme tests such as multi - sided extrusion, drill penetration, and overall sawing, CATL's new sodium battery still remains smokeless, fireless, and non - explosive. It can even discharge normally after being sawed.
The debut of the world's first mass - produced passenger car with a sodium battery not only marks a crucial milestone in the industrial development of sodium batteries but also signifies a key leap for sodium - battery technology from laboratory research and development to large - scale commercial application. As the global energy transition accelerates and the contradiction between the supply and demand of lithium resources intensifies, sodium batteries, as the most promising alternative, may become a key year for large - scale mass production in 2026.
01. Sodium Batteries at the Forefront of the Trend
In the field of power batteries, there has always been a technological route competition between lithium batteries and sodium batteries. Among them, lithium batteries have core advantages such as high energy density, long cycle life, and balanced performance, while sodium batteries feature high safety, excellent low - temperature adaptability, and outstanding fast - charging and rate performance. The general pursuit of long - range in the new - energy vehicle market has enabled lithium batteries to maintain a significant dominant position for now.
However, restricted by the pain points of lithium batteries, such as insufficient low - temperature performance, high risk of thermal runaway, and high cost pressure, power - battery manufacturers like CATL and EVE Energy, battery makers like Vico Technology and Haisida, as well as upstream material suppliers like Rongbai Technology and Jiana Energy, have never given up on the research, development, and layout of sodium batteries. The sodium - battery industry has gradually entered a period of rapid development.
Data from ICC Xinluo Information, an industry information service provider, shows that in 2025, China's sodium - battery production reached 3.45GWh, a year - on - year increase of 96%. In 2025, the total output of cathode materials for sodium batteries in China was 11,000 tons, a year - on - year increase of 101%, achieving a doubling growth. In 2026, the capacity expansion speed of the sodium - battery industry chain will further accelerate. In the field of cathode materials for sodium batteries alone, the planned production capacity is expected to exceed 120,000 tons, nearly a ten - fold increase compared to 2025. This trend provides core support for the explosive growth of sodium batteries.
Research data from SPIR, a starting - point research institution, also shows that in 2025, the global sodium - battery shipment reached 9GWh, a year - on - year increase of 150%, with a growth rate far exceeding that of lithium batteries. It is expected to reach 26.8GWh in 2026, and the global sodium - battery shipment will exceed 580GWh in 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 58.1%.
Meanwhile, the cost advantage of sodium batteries is gradually emerging. Since the beginning of 2026, the average spot price of battery - grade lithium carbonate has rapidly exceeded 140,000 yuan/ton, and the futures price has soared all the way, once reaching a high of 179,000 yuan/ton, directly driving up the cost of lithium batteries. In contrast, a research report from Jianghai Securities shows that in 2025, the average price of global sodium battery cells was about 0.52 yuan/Wh, and it is expected to drop to 0.45 - 0.50 yuan/Wh in 2026, basically on par with the cost of lithium - iron phosphate batteries (0.48 - 0.55 yuan/Wh). As the production - capacity scale expands and technology continues to optimize, the cost - reduction speed will further accelerate, and it is expected to drop to 0.25 yuan/Wh by 2030, significantly lower than the cost of lithium - iron phosphate batteries at that time.
Although the sodium - battery industry is still in the "early stage of large - scale development" and there is still a distance from a real explosion, the growth momentum is unstoppable. All major participants, including CATL, want to seize this historic development opportunity with all their might.
In July 2025, BYD's world - first mass - production line for sodium batteries was put into operation in Xining, Qinghai, with an initial annual production capacity of 30GWh. In December 2025, CATL announced at its supplier conference that it would widely apply sodium batteries in the fields of battery swapping, passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and energy storage in 2026. During the same period, the project of "EVE Sodium Energy Headquarters and Jinyuan Robot AI Center" located in Huizhou, EVE Energy, officially started construction, with a total investment of about 1 billion yuan and a planned annual production capacity of 2GWh.
In addition, in December 2025, Rongbai Technology launched the production - line adjustment for its "Annual 400,000 - ton Cathode Materials Project" in Xiantao, Hubei. Four of the original 44 lithium - battery production lines were changed to sodium - battery production lines, and the product plan for the first phase is to produce 16,800 tons of cathode materials for sodium batteries annually. During the same period, Tongxing Technology plans to invest about 3.2 billion yuan to build a project for an annual output of 100,000 tons of cathode materials for sodium batteries and 6GWh of battery cells. In January 2026, the second - phase project of Jiana Energy's production base for an annual output of 100,000 tons of polyanionic cathode materials for sodium batteries in Zigong, Sichuan, has been launched, aiming to achieve a production capacity of 10,000 tons.
In 2026, the sodium - battery industry is characterized by high capital enthusiasm, accelerated capacity expansion, and gradually increasing downstream demand. As the competition among major participants intensifies comprehensively, the sodium - battery industry is on the verge of an explosion.
02. Can Sodium Batteries Replace Lithium Batteries?
Although the sodium - battery market has broad prospects, it still faces multiple practical challenges on the road to commercialization. Especially in several core indicators, there are still significant gaps between sodium batteries and lithium batteries, and it is impossible to completely surpass lithium batteries in the short term.
Energy density is the most prominent shortcoming of sodium batteries. Energy density is a core indicator for measuring battery performance. The relatively large atomic radius of sodium makes it difficult for sodium ions to intercalate and de - intercalate in electrode materials, resulting in generally lower energy density compared to lithium batteries. Currently, the energy density of mass - produced sodium - battery cells is mostly between 140 - 175Wh/kg, and the system energy density is mostly between 100 - 120Wh/kg. Even for CATL's new sodium battery, which is at the leading level in the industry, its cell energy density is only 175Wh/kg, and the system energy density is 120Wh/kg.
In contrast, the energy density of lithium batteries is significantly higher. Among them, the cell energy density of lithium - iron phosphate batteries is about 150 - 200Wh/kg, and the system energy density is about 120 - 160Wh/kg. The cell energy density of ternary lithium batteries is mostly between 200 - 400Wh/kg, and the system energy density is mostly between 180 - 300Wh/kg. If measured by the driving range, the driving range of sodium - battery vehicles is only about 400 kilometers, while that of lithium - iron phosphate battery vehicles can reach 500 to 600 kilometers, and the driving range of ternary lithium - battery vehicles can easily reach 600 to 1000 kilometers.
Insufficient cycle life is another shortcoming of sodium batteries. Currently, the cycle life of mass - produced sodium - ion batteries is mainly concentrated between 3000 - 5000 times, while that of high - end lithium - iron phosphate batteries can reach 6000 - 10,000 times. In application scenarios with high requirements for cycle life, such as long - term energy storage, sodium batteries are at a significant disadvantage, which also determines their limited competitiveness in the high - end new - energy vehicle field with more stringent requirements for driving range and cycle life.
The low maturity of the industrial chain also restricts the development of sodium batteries. Upstream, key materials such as high - end hard carbon rely on imports, the technological route of cathode materials is not unified, and there is a shortage of current - collector aluminum - foil production capacity, resulting in an unstable supply chain and high costs. In the mid - stream manufacturing process, the immature process leads to a low yield rate in the initial stage of mass production. At the same time, the lack of dedicated production lines and equipment results in the actual production cost being higher than the theoretical expectation. In the downstream application and market - ecosystem aspects, the lack of long - term vehicle - loading verification data, the lag in industry standardization, and the absence of a recycling system jointly restrict the large - scale and commercial development of sodium batteries.
Therefore, at this stage, sodium batteries do not have the conditions to completely replace lithium batteries. Although sodium batteries have many unique and irreplaceable advantages, these advantages can only support them in building differentiated competitiveness in specific scenarios. The ultimate positioning of sodium batteries is still an important supplement to lithium batteries, rather than a disruptor.
In 2026, the development pattern of "lithium - sodium synergy" will gradually take shape. With continuous breakthroughs in sodium - battery technology and the increasing maturity of the industrial chain, core indicators such as energy density and cycle life will be significantly optimized, and the application scenarios will also be further expanded. Eventually, sodium batteries and lithium batteries will jointly build a diversified new - energy supply system.
03. Targeting Scenarios to Leverage Advantages and Avoid Disadvantages
The large - scale and commercial development of sodium batteries is not achieved overnight but is a gradual process of scenario penetration.
Combining the characteristics of sodium batteries, such as "excellent low - temperature performance, high safety, great cost potential, and relatively low energy density", in 2026, sodium batteries will first focus on scenarios that "have low requirements for energy density and are sensitive to low - temperature, safety, and cost" to achieve large - scale implementation and gradually expand market share.
In 2026, sodium batteries may achieve breakthroughs in the following three fields:
First is the field of electric two - wheelers/low - speed electric vehicles. Electric two - wheelers (electric bicycles, electric motorcycles) and low - speed electric vehicles (elderly mobility scooters, short - distance mobility vehicles) are the "main battlefields" for the large - scale application of sodium batteries and also the fields where the cost advantage of sodium batteries first appears. This field has extremely low requirements for battery energy density but high requirements for cost and safety. Sodium batteries have lower costs and higher safety compared to lithium batteries, and they have a longer lifespan and are more environmentally friendly compared to lead - acid batteries, with the advantage of "down - grade substitution".
Second is the field of special vehicles. Special vehicles include various types of vehicles such as mine - operating vehicles, explosion - proof vehicles, and polar - scientific - research vehicles. Their operating environments are generally harsh and complex, posing strict requirements for the safety performance of power batteries. The prominent high - safety advantage of sodium batteries can be fully exerted in such scenarios. At the same time, sodium batteries have characteristics such as non - flammability, excellent fast - charging performance, and tolerance to extreme working conditions, which are highly compatible with the usage scenarios of special vehicles and are expected to become the optimal solution in this field for large - scale application.
Third is the energy - storage field. Energy storage is also one of the priority application fields for sodium batteries. Relying on their high - safety characteristics, sodium batteries can simplify the design of the thermal - management system, achieve miniaturization and lightweight of the battery system, and are highly compatible with segmented scenarios such as outdoor camping and emergency power supply. In the future, sodium batteries will move from the pilot - demonstration stage to large - scale application implementation, focusing on outdoor energy - storage scenarios such as portable energy storage, outdoor - base - station energy storage, and RV energy storage, forming scenario - complementarity with lithium batteries.
In the first half of 2026, with the launch of the world's first mass - produced passenger car with a sodium battery, the sodium - battery industry will continue to maintain its popularity. In the second half of the year, thanks to the increasing maturity of the industrial chain, sodium batteries are expected to achieve large - scale implementation and play an increasingly important role in the new - energy supply system.
This article is from the WeChat official account “DoNews” (ID: ilovedonews), author: Zhang Yu. Republished by 36Kr with permission.