CATL Makes Large Announcement on Sodium Batteries for 2026

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Sodium-ion battery improvement has been a significant story in 2025, as Chris Bow has been particularly keen to spotlight and clarify. In 2026, I believe it could possibly be the most important battery matter. Battery large CATL, the biggest battery producer on this planet, is leaning into the subject and made a notable assertion this week on what we will anticipate within the new 12 months. Nonetheless, on the identical time, it’s eager to level out that the way forward for the battery trade is a combination of lithium and sodium batteries.

The important thing determine CATL talked about this week is that its sodium-ion batteries, which have gotten as much as 175 Wh/kg of power density, could possibly be utilized in regular passenger electrical automobiles offering 500 km (311 miles) of vary in 2026. That’s the present candy spot of what’s anticipated in a brand new electrical automotive. Naturally, this announcement doesn’t point out value, however even when the corporate is referring to extra premium automobiles that may garner greater gross margin and eat early improvement prices, that is nonetheless indication that the mass-market goal is on the horizon.

This announcement got here at a provider convention in Ningde, Fujian, China, yesterday in keeping with Chinese language media retailers.

CATL intends to promote sodium-ion batteries into all types of trade segments — passenger EVs, business EVs, and stationary power storage programs. Included in which can be batteries utilized in battery swapping programs, which is an space Chris Arcus has additionally targeted on.

Naturally, CATL doesn’t wish to or anticipate to make its many lithium-ion battery manufacturing strains and market choices out of date, and definitely no time quickly! Totally different chemistries include totally different advantages, particularly at this stage of improvement. Subsequently, CATL is pitching a “dual-star” market wherein “sodium and lithium batteries shine brightly collectively.”

CATL’s new Naxtra sodium-ion division launched passenger EV and business EV merchandise in 2025, with the core focus when it comes to advantages over lithium-ion batteries being operation in excessive temperatures (excessive warmth in addition to excessive chilly). Long term, although, sodium-ion batteries are anticipated to convey common value financial savings in addition to greener credentials (decrease carbon emissions). Sodium-based batteries are additionally anticipated to offer security advantages over lithium-based batteries.

We’ll see what 2026 has in retailer for sodium-ion batteries, from CATL and others, nevertheless it’s thrilling to lastly be transitioning from lab/research-focused tales about sodium-ion batteries (which we’ve been overlaying for greater than a decade) to market-focused tales about them, particularly when the information is coming from world battery chief CATL. I believe we will depend on extra tales from Chris on this quickly, in addition to from different writers on the CleanTechnica workforce. Be happy to share any cool tales you notice on the rising battery expertise with the CleanTechnica author workforce as nicely.