China’s CATL tests EVs – and lithium’s dominance – with pioneering sodium-ion battery

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) has deployed the world’s first sodium-ion batteries in passenger cars, as it aims to stay ahead in China’s fiercely competitive electric vehicle (EV) market amid price volatility in traditional lithium-ion batteries.The company’s new Naxtra battery will be installed in China-changan-automobile-group" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="25104" data-entity-type="organization">China Changan Automobile Group EVs this week for winter testing in the chilly Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the country’s north.“The breakthroughs in sodium-ion technology bring greater resilience, a wider operating temperature range and more sustainable growth to electrification,” said Gao Huan, chief technology officer at the battery giant, at a press conference on Thursday.Under an agreement between the two companies, Changan will start using CATL’s sodium-ion batteries across its entire brand portfolio – comprising the Avatr, Deepal, Qiyuan and Uni models.Changan’s chief brand officer Tan Benhong said the firm would accelerate the application of sodium-ion batteries, as the state-managed carmaker echoed China’s national strategy of bringing safe, economical and durable EVs to more people.CATL’s new Naxtra battery will be installed in China-changan-automobile-group" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="25104" data-entity-type="organization">China Changan Automobile Group EVs this week for winter testing in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Photo: WeiboThe carmaker would also test its Avatr 12 model in Antarctica within the next 18 months, making it the first EV sedan to drive on the frozen continent, Tan said.