CATL unveils world’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery for commercial EVs – 45 kWh, 175 Wh per kg

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) recently unveiled its Tianxing II range of light commercial EV batteries, including a low-temperature version that is the world’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery for commercial EVs, Car News China reports.

Packing a 175 Wh/kg energy density and a 10,000-cycle lifespan, the 45 kWh unit is designed for small and micro vans and light trucks. The company claims it can retain 90% of its usable capacity in temperatures as low as -40 degrees, and can charge immediately even when totally frozen at -30 degrees, which should be a boon for commercial EVs working in very cold places.

Sodium is over 1,000 times more abundant than lithium and costs just a twentieth of lithium to extract, according to CNC. The chemistry also has the potential to reduce EV fire risks. According to CnEVPost, these batteries can charge at 5C (full in a fifth of an hour) with just a five-degree temperature rise.

CATL launched its first sodium-ion battery in 2021, becoming the first major automotive battery maker to do so. The second generation was launched in 2024. Last year, CATL launched Naxtra – a brand for its sodium-ion batteries to be marketed under, possibly for passenger EVs.

CnEVPost says CATL’s commercial EV sodium-ion battery is set to start mass production in July, while the first passenger EV to use the company’s sodium-ion battery will come from GAC Aion later this year.

Another nascent technology is solid-state batteries – the MG4 Anxin Edition is the first production car with a semi-solid state battery, while the Verge TS Pro e-bike is the first production vehicle with an all-solid state battery. Geely’s also developing an all-solid state battery; we should hear more from Hangzhou later this year. These batteries can reportedly push an astonishing 400 Wh/kg, which is pretty much double the energy density of a typical lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack.