CATL and BYD, two leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturers, are reportedly planning to introduce sodium-ion batteries in their series-produced EVs by the end of this year. The initial plan is to use a hybrid of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries.
According to the Chinese portal 36kr, CATL plans to introduce the new batteries in the first model of Chery’s new energy vehicle brand, iCar, which is set to launch in the fourth quarter of this year. The iCar GT is an electric sports car, while the iCar 03 is a 4.2-metre-long angular compact SUV. As sodium-ion batteries are cheaper but have a lower energy density, it is more likely that the iCar 03 will be the first model to come with a mixed battery pack of Li-ion and Na-ion cells, rather than the sports car.
See also: BYD to start mass-produce sodium-ion batteries in Q2 2023 : report
Similarly, BYD plans to introduce its new batteries, which will also be a mixture of sodium and lithium batteries, in its small EV, Seagull, in the second half of this year. The Seagull has just gone on pre-sale in China, starting at 78,800 yuan (around €10,500 euros or $11,439) with LFP batteries.
Although there were rumours in China that BYD was interested in sodium-ion batteries as early as November 2022, BYD denied the reports at the time. However, insiders suggest that given the advanced development, limited use of sodium-ion cells in mixed battery packs seems possible, at least initially.
See also: Chery to be First to Use CATL’s Sodium-Ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles
This move towards sodium-ion batteries is driven by the desire to reduce dependence on lithium resources, as well as their lower cost. However, since lithium prices recently fell sharply again, the acute interest of Chinese battery manufacturers could temporarily cool down. Nevertheless, the use of sodium-ion batteries will not be questioned in the long term.
