The Sodium-Ion Battery Revolution Has Started - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica highlights the emerging revolution of sodium-ion batteries, which have transitioned from development to real-world applications in vehicles and home energy storage. Companies like JAC (in partnership with Volkswagen), CATL, and BYD are leading the charge, with BYD opening a large-scale sodium-ion battery factory in 2024 and producing a 6.4 MWh battery energy storage system. These batteries offer competitive energy density and superior temperature performance, retaining 88% capacity at -20°C, outperforming lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in several respects. A key advantage of sodium-ion batteries lies in their significantly lower material costs and greater resource availability compared to lithium-ion batteries. Sodium does not require scarce or geopolitically sensitive materials like cobalt, lithium, or phosphorus, and allows the use of aluminum electrodes instead of copper, further reducing costs. This cost-effectiveness and wide operating temperature range open new possibilities for applications previously limited by battery technology, such as electric shipping, heavy