Sodium-ion batteries could soon replace lithium-ion

TECHNOLOGY

CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, has signed a three-year deal with energy storage integrator HyperStrong for 60 GWh — the largest sodium-ion battery order ever placed. The deal marks what CATL claims is proof it has “overcome the challenges of the entire sodium-ion battery mass production chain”. And the race is on to replace lithium-ion batteries for, among other things, electric vehicles (EV).

The collaboration builds on another deal signed in November 2025, when HyperStrong committed to procuring 200 GWh of battery cells from CATL between 2026–2035.

CATL says it has now solved the key manufacturing challenges of sodium-ion technology. And that’s a significant milestone. Sodium-ion batteries use sodium instead of lithium as the charge carrier. Sodium is roughly 1,000 times more abundant in the Earth’s crust than lithium and far cheaper to source, which makes sodium-ion batteries a compelling alternative where cost matters more than maximum energy density — particularly grid-scale energy storage.

CATL’s energy storage sodium-ion cell has an energy conversion efficiency of 97%, and a cycle life exceeding 15,000 cycles (recharges) at 80% capacity retention. It operates across a temperature range of -40°C to 70°C, which is significantly better than most lithium-ion cells.

Critically, CATL has designed the sodium-ion cells with the same dimensions as its lithium-ion products, making them compatible with existing supply chains and installation infrastructure. It dramatically reduces adaptation costs and shortens deployment timelines. Energy storage integrators such as HyperStrong can slot them into existing systems with minimal retooling.

CATL is also pushing sodium-ion into electric vehicles, with its chief scientist confirming mass production by the end of 2026 and a target of reaching a range of 600 km within three years. The first sodium-ion EV, the Changan Nevo A06, debuted in February.

CATL is not alone in the sodium-ion race. BYD, its biggest rival, has developed a third-generation sodium-ion platform that achieves over 10,000 cycles and has solved high-temperature performance issues. Both companies view sodium-ion as a strategic hedge against lithium price volatility.

The global sodium-ion battery market is projected to reach US$1.08 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of almost 16%. CATL, which already controls around 40% of the global EV battery market, is positioning itself to dominate this adjacent market as well.

The 15,000 cycles is a huge deal, if true. That’s an impressive 40 years of one cycle per day (charge/discharge). In theory, the batteries don’t need to be replaced for a very long time.

Davis Zhang, a senior executive at battery supplier Suzhou Hazardtex, told the South China Morning Post the deal could dramatically reduce costs and improve manufacturing efficiency across the sector. The 60 GWh deal is also impressive for a technology that was still considered pre-commercial just a couple of years ago; CATL first unveiled its sodium-ion battery back in 2021.

If sodium-ion can deliver 15,000+ cycles at a fraction of lithium’s raw material cost, it could fundamentally reshape the economics of grid-scale storage. Cheap, long-lasting stationary storage is arguably the single biggest bottleneck to scaling renewable energy.

ABOVE CATL Tectrans II sodium-ion battery pack for commercial vehicles

PHOTO Bike-EV.com

SOURCE