CATL has announced the second generation of its sodium-ion battery. It is scheduled to be launched in 2025 and is expected to be mass-produced in 2027. The new battery should be able to be discharged at temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius and have better safety features. Although there is still no concrete information on energy density, CATL is aiming for a SWert of more than 200 watt hours per kilogram
Sodium-ion batteries are considered safer and more resistant to cold than lithium-ion batteries, but have a lower energy density. Their production is currently even more expensive, as production is smaller and lithium price reductions are eroding the advantage. Although sodium-ion batteries should theoretically be cheaper, they are currently more expensive than lithium-ion batteries. The reason for this is the lower production volume, which means that economies of scale are missing. Experts estimate that costs can fall to a competitive level by 2027 as production increases.