China’s CATL yesterday launched a new brand for its sodium-ion batteries, Naxtra, which it said would go into mass production in December, and a second generation of its fast-charging battery for electric cars.
CATL became the first major automotive battery maker to launch a sodium-ion battery in 2021. Unlike other battery materials, sodium is cheap and abundant, and the chemistry has the potential to reduce fire risks in EVs, experts have said.
The first production under the Naxtra brand will be of a new sodium-ion battery with an energy density of 175 watt-hours per kilogramme, nearly equivalent to the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries popularly used in electric vehicles and grid energy storage systems.
Sodium-ion batteries may have a cost advantage over lithium-ion batteries as the technology and supply chain develop, said Ouyang Chuying, co-president for R&D at CATL. CATL’s billionaire founder Robin Zeng has said he sees sodium-ion batteries potentially replacing up to half the market for LFP batteries that CATL now dominates.
Besides Naxtra, CATL also launched the second generation of its Shenxing fast-charging battery, which it said can enable a 520km driving range with a five-minute charge, and reach 80 per cent charging from 0pc in 15 minutes in cold weather.
More than 18.32 million cars equipped with CATL batteries are running in more than 66 countries globally.
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