After a relatively quiet period of sodium-ion newsfeeds in H2 2023, it appears that 2024 might see the nascent battery technology move firmly into a mass production and commercialisation phase.

The first weeks of January has seen the commercial launch in China of the world’s first sodium-ion battery-powered EV, along with a number of recent OEM announcements committing to further sodium-ion gigafactory build-out in China, the US and Europe. After a relatively quiet period of sodium-ion newsfeeds during the last half of 2023, it appears that 2024 might see the nascent battery technology move firmly into a mass production and commercialisation phase.

In early January 2024, Chinese EV manufacturer JAC announced it was launching the world’s first mass-production EV powered by sodium-ion battery technology. Volkswagen-backed JAC will begin deliveries of the Yiwei hatchback, which uses a cylindrical sodium-ion battery pack developed and produced by Beijing-based HiNa Battery. Previously released specifications from JAC suggest their sodium-ion battery has a 25 kWh capacity, an energy density of 120 Wh/kg, a range of 252 km, and a rapid charge from 10% to 80% of 20 minutes. These specifications are competitive with current lithium iron phosphate (LFP) applications in the small, compact EV segment.

Also announced in January 2024, BYD commenced construction of a 30 GWh sodium-ion battery plant in Xuzhou, as part of a joint venture with three-wheel vehicle manufacturer Huaihai. In Sweden, Northvolt recently announced its commitment to producing first-generation sodium-ion batteries for energy storage applications. With similar production processes, a sodium-ion battery line has been added to Northvolt’s European gigafactory looking to produce batteries with an energy density of 160 Wh/kg. Utilising a Prussian white cathode and hard carbon anode, the sodium-ion battery will provide strong competition to existing LFP alternatives. In the US, Acculon announced series production of its sodium-ion batteries for stationary and mobility applications. 2 GWh of production capacity is expected to come online by mid-2024.

Project Blue believes that 2024 will see sodium-ion batteries finally providing a compelling commercial alternative to lithium-ion batteries in certain market segments. Smaller-scale batteries utilised in stationary energy storage, micro-mobility applications and compact segment EVs will see in roads from cheaper, safer and more durable sodium-ion alternatives. By 2033, Project Blue expects that sodium-ion applications could expand their market share in EVs to more than 3% and in energy storage to more than 10%.

One application for sodium-ion batteries that doesn’t receive as much attention is the use of sodium-ion cells alongside and in series with lithium-ion cells. These hybrid battery packs potentially present a “best-of-all-worlds” solution to some EV, motive and stationary storage solutions and the mix between the two technologies can flex over time based on relative materials costs and technology innovations. This hybrid solution, along with the ability to swap in and out sodium and lithium-ion production lines, means that sodium-ion is likely to emerge as an established swing technology underpinning the materials cost curve associated with traditional lithium-ion battery technologies.