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Is China's Sodium Ion Battery Technology Set to Propel Ahead in the EV Market?
Learn about the latest advancements in battery technology in the electric car industry, as China introduces sodium ion batteries as a potential game-changer. Discover the potential implications for market dominance and competition from European companies in this episode of Transforming Business.
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Video Transcript
Chinese electric cars are making headlines again because some of them are running on batteries
made of salt.
Well, that's what's being reported at least.
Until now, lithium has been the key ingredient in e-car batteries, but it's difficult and
expensive to obtain.
But salt, aka sodium, isn't.
I really can see these headlines in front of me are sodium ion batteries than lithium
killer.
Does China's head start mean they'll rule the market again?
Or do companies in Europe stand a chance of competing?
Welcome to this episode of Transforming Business.
Lithium is an ultra-light element
that's become an integral part of battery technology,
but it's relatively difficult and expensive to procure.
Extraction methods vary depending on where it comes from.
The three biggest producers are Australia, Chile, and China.
Until now, China is by far the largest battery producer.
We're going to need more battery capacity in the next few decades,
not just for our smartphones, laptops and electric cars,
but to store wind and solar energy.
The markets were probably not only dappered until 2030,
it's probably claims five more like this.
Matino shots as a professor for the chemistry of energy materials
at the University of Yena, Germany.
relying on lithium alone won't cut it.
The world will need every option available,
and that's where sodium ion batteries come into the picture.
So let's take a look at that element.
But, beneath the Earth's crust,
sodium is abundant, making up around 2.3%.
It might not sound like much,
but that's over 1,000 times more the amount of lithium
found under the Earth's crust.
Not only is it more readily available,
but it's also cheaper.
In early 2024, sodium carbonate was valued
at approximately $290 per metric ton.
Battery-grade lithium carbonate
was more than $13,000 per metric ton.
And lithium batteries need precious materials
like cobalt and nickel to work.
But sodium doesn't.
It's found everywhere.
It's simply salt, and not limited to a specific region.
The world's largest battery manufacturer, Chinese CATL, already went big on sodium ion technology in 2021.
Just two years later, it was supplying Chinese car maker Sherry with salt batteries.
And recently, this e-car type from JAC Group's Yeway was in the spotlight.
Reports say that some of the cars from this model are powered by a sodium battery.
This probably means that in some Chinese cities, tiny salt-powered e-cars are already in use,
though we weren't able to find any further information or figures on how many of them.
