2d ago

CATL says next-gen sodium-ion battery supports 500 km range, readies for 2026 mass production

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/48958993

energy density of 175 Wh/kg
CATL explained that sodium-ion batteries have slightly lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries but provide distinct advantages in low-temperature performance, carbon footprint, and safety.

Electric Vehicles @slrpnk.net

schizoidman @lemmy.zip

2d ago

CATL says next-gen sodium-ion battery supports 500 km range, readies for 2026 mass production

carnewschina.com /2025/09/18/catl-says-next-gen-sodium-ion-battery-supports-500-km-range-readies-for-2026-mass-production/

32 comments

I really hate how all these headlines give battery capacity as a distance, as though that was a meaningful measure or allowed comparing different technologies.
- But it's all stupid people and marketing people understand more=better cheaper=better. I think it's why ev adoption has been so poor, questions I get asked are what's the range like? Doesn't it take forever to charge? And aren't they really expensive?
  
  They do the same thing with grid storage batteries and I hate it. "Our battery lasts 20 hours!" Think it was a better unit like watts per 4 hours but media and marketing mess with it.
- kWh/kg female dogs !
  
  J/m³
- It’s a ballpark number. It says to me “competitive with LiIon on capacity though not beating it yet.”
  
  It's not though. Range is determined by how much battery is in a car, I could build a car with 500km worth of Ni-MH but it would be mostly battery.
  Does the same car with 500km worth of lithium batteries have more or less trunk space than 500km of these batteries? I have no idea. I do know the sodium batteries will weigh a bit more, because the article actually gives Wh/kg - and that makes sense since sodium the metal is denser than lithium, but the headline is meaningless.
These things are a game changer. For a car, you don't need the energy density of li-ion. They don't fly, they don't get carried around by people.
They are significantly safer than lithium-ion. They don't burst into flames if the container is breached. They don't build up hydrogen bubbles. I believe they have a higher cycle lifespan. And they don't degrade when fully charged or discharged like lithium do.
They are also much more environmentally friendly to develop and cheaper to produce (which mean they will never be allowed into the US because of Elon Musk).
- The6also have better low-temp performance.
- One downside is that compared to other solutions this is a really heavy battery afaik, but honestly having no fire hazards and way better lifespan totally worths this tradeoff
  
  The energy density isn't bad. A lead acid battery has 80Wh/L, and a sodium ion battery is 250Wh/L. Now high-end lithium ion batteries can reach 600Wh/L.
  
  The energy density claimed is higher than any current LFP, so it would be lighter.
They are cheaper and the low temperature performance is better than LFP, but the round trip efficiency is less than LFP.
- Question is.... How much cheaper...
  LFP is almost at the price point we could all have a freezer sized battery pack in our house, drastically changing the grid, and allowing a place for all that wind/solar to store energy.
  If Sodium is a fair chunk cheaper, then it will totally be worth buying a house battery pack. Buying energy on the cheap at certain times of day, and using the battery when energy prices are high.
  
  Potentially 1/10th the price according to this video I stumbled on about it a couple of days ago!
  https://youtu.be/Wf84NJSiAeU
  
  Why wouldn't the grid do this on an industrial scale and remove any off peak discounts?
- They also have better thermal stability, so less risk of uncontrolled fires.
  
  AFAIK, LFP thermal runaway can't start fires. NMC or other lithium chemistries can and they scare me, but LFPs are pretty damn safe. That being said, I'm still stoked for sodium chemistries to be developed. If the round trip efficiency issues can be solved, then I think it'll be a great solution for residential power storage.
- As long as the efficiency is outweighed by price, it could move us in the right direction. Hopefully we can pick up the efficiency in time. These would also be good for my future load-shifting (charge during off peak, low carbon electricity) and maybe solar system at home.
"slightly lower" == 2/3rds, apparently. the model 3's pack is 250Wh/kg. also, 500km range in what? the only way you could fit an equal-range battery in a contemporary compact vehicle like the model 3 would be if it had almost double the density of Li-ion.
- The model 3 is not a compact vehicle...it's a regular size sedan.
  
  it is apparently D-segment, yeah. i have a C-seg car and have found the model 3 to be very similar in size, but maybe that's just a matter of the height making it look smaller.
- Slighter lower than LFP.
- Sodium itself Is nearly double the density of Lithium. I don't know how much that affects the whole pack, but it's gotta be something.

32 comments