CATL Will Put Its Second-Generation Sodium-Ion Batteries Into Production In 2025 – CleanTechnica

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How many times have we said the batteries that will power our electric cars and trucks in 2030 have not yet been invented? A quick scan of the CleanTechnica archives found 147 instances. Battery technology today is like computer processing power 40 years ago. By the time you get it home, it’s close to being obsolete. When it comes to news about batteries, most of the time CATL is involved in the story. Just a few days ago we published a story about CATL branching out into grid-scale storage batteries and even developing its own EV platform. In it, Robin Zeng, the founder and CEO of CATL, said the company has 20,000 people doing research and development work. How many other companies can make that claim?

On November 18, CATL announced its second-generation sodium battery. Speaking at the World Young Scientists Summit, chief scientist Wu Kai revealed the development of the battery and said that it would be launched in 2025. CATL is already manufacturing sodium-ion batteries and is using them in its new Freevoy battery pack along with traditional lithium-ion cells. The Freevoy battery is engineered specifically for use in so-called extended range EVs. The company claims the Freevoy is the world’s first hybrid vehicle battery with a range of over 400 kilometers and 4C super-fast charging.

One of the complaints drivers have about their electric cars is that battery performance falls off dramatically as the thermometer dips. CATL claims its second-generation sodium battery can be discharged normally in temperatures as low as -40° C. It just so happens that temperature is also -40° F, a little known scientific fact that may win you are prize at a trivia contest someday. Furthermore, the batteries have exhibited better safety performance and low temperature resistance while maintaining energy density. Sodium batteries also have a much lower incidence of battery fires than conventional lithium batteries.

Energy density has always been a challenge for sodium-ion batteries. Early examples struggled to break 100 Wh per kg. Now CATL says its second-generation sodium-ion batteries will have an energy density greater than 200 Wh per kg. That’s still a long way from the 300 Wh per kg of the best lithium-ion batteries today, but it’s a huge improvement over its first-generation sodium-ion batteries. Although the new sodium battery is expected to launch in 2025, the first cells will be used for testing and benchmarking by potential customers. Mass production is not expected until 2027, according to Car News China.

CATL Cracks The Sodium-Ion Battery Code

The science behind sodium-ion batteries is similar to that of lithium-ion batteries. Both store electrical energy by the movement of ions between positive and negative electrodes. Currently, sodium-ion batteries have better characteristics in terms of safety and low-temperature resistance. Theoretically, they should be less expensive than lithium-ion batteries — sodium is abundant  and cheap. But while lithium battery cells are being manufactured by the tens of millions every year, sodium batteries are not, which means they are not able to take advantage of the economies of scale that benefit lithium-ion batteries today. That doesn’t mean they won’t be able to in the future, however. In addition, prices for lithium have fallen dramatically in the past year, which has lowered the cost of lithium-ion batteries still further.

When CATL demonstrated its first-generation sodium-ion battery in 2021, it attracted widespread media attention due to its relatively high energy density, fast charging ability, excellent thermal stability, and good low-temperature performance. It is unclear how much sodium batteries are being used in real-world situations. Although, it is known that Chery and JAC have launched cars using them and Aida and Yadea have used them in scooters. News reports in China claim CATL’s second-generation sodium-ion batteries will replace 20 to 30 percent of lithium-iron-phosphate batteries in small or short-range vehicles where their lower energy density is less of an issue.

Earlier this year, BYD, which is the second-largest battery manufacturer in the world, said, “The development of BYD sodium ion batteries has entered the second stage around (reducing) costs, and its bill of materials cost is expected to be on par with lithium iron phosphate batteries in 2025 and less than 70% of lithium iron phosphate batteries in the long term.” In January 2024, BYD started construction of a sodium-ion battery factory with an annual production capacity of 30 GWh. Initially, it will produce batteries with an energy density of 105 Wh/kg, while later that metric is expected to increase to 130 Wh per kg.

The Takeaway

That makes claims of a second-generation CATL battery with 200 Wh per kg seem unlikely, Car News China says, but no one should dismiss the words of Robin Zeng lightly. He spoke recently about how he thinks Tesla is on the wrong path with its 4680 battery initiative. He says he told Elon Musk the 4680 battery “is going to fail and never be successful. We had a very big debate, and I showed him. He was silent.” Then he went on to say, “He doesn’t know how to make a battery. It’s about electrochemistry. He’s good for the chips, the software, the hardware, the mechanical things.” If Robin Zeng says CATL will make sodium-ion batteries with an energy density of 200 Wh per kg, we think people should believe him.