Sodium batteries hit the road, reshaping the new energy competition landscape! Changan Automobile partners with CATL to announce sodium battery strategy

Under the broader trend of the automotive industry shifting toward new energy sources, various emerging energy technologies are beginning to enter the battery industry. Sodium-ion batteries have also entered the public eye in recent years. Thanks to their low-temperature performance, safety features, and cost potential, industry insiders consider them an important supplement to lithium-ion technology.

On February 5th, Changan Automobile and CATL officially announced their global sodium battery strategy, unveiling the “world’s first mass-produced sodium-powered passenger vehicle,” which is expected to be launched in the middle of the year. At the same time, Changan Automobile announced that its brands, including Avita, Deep Blue, Qiyuan, and Yili, will all be equipped with CATL’s new sodium batteries in the future.

Industry experts believe that this collaboration on sodium battery strategy marks a good synergy between battery technology innovation and vehicle manufacturing, which will push sodium batteries from “technological innovation” to “large-scale application.” The launch of the “world’s first mass-produced sodium-powered passenger vehicle” also signifies that China’s new energy vehicle industry has officially entered the “sodium-lithium dual-star” era.

Sodium Battery Strategy Implementation Boosts Changan’s New Energy Technology Layout

“The cooperation between CATL and Changan on the sodium battery strategy is not just a product launch but a new starting point for both parties to deepen their involvement in sodium batteries and jointly explore the market,” said automotive industry analyst Tian Li in an interview with Huaxia Times.

On January 14, 2026, Changan Automobile and CATL signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen their strategic partnership, binding the two sides closely in technology R&D, capacity supply, and market promotion across the entire supply chain.

According to CATL’s Chief Technology Officer Gao Huan, the sodium battery system uses CATL’s third-generation CTP module technology, with a pure electric range of over 400 km, and the cell’s maximum energy density reaching 175Wh/kg, meeting the mainstream needs of the current new energy market. In terms of extreme environment adaptability, this battery can deliver nearly three times the discharge power of conventional iron-lithium vehicles of the same capacity under -30°C conditions, maintain over 90% capacity in -40°C extreme cold, and discharge stably in -50°C conditions, solving the performance degradation issues of traditional power batteries in low temperatures.

“CATL’s new sodium batteries can withstand extreme conditions such as multi-faceted compression, drill penetration, and overall sawing without smoke, fire, or explosion. Some extreme tests still allow normal discharge, exceeding industry safety standards,” Gao Huan said. “Since launching sodium-ion battery R&D in 2016, CATL has invested nearly 10 billion yuan by 2025, tested nearly 300,000 cells, and assembled a technical team of over 300 R&D personnel including more than 20 PhDs, laying a foundation for mass production of sodium battery technology.”

Gao Huan added that CATL plans to build over 3,000 swap stations nationwide by 2026, covering more than 140 cities, including 8 provinces and cities such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning, with a total of over 600 swap stations to support sodium vehicle charging needs.

“Changan Automobile, as one of China’s leading automakers with 40 years of deep manufacturing experience, is strategically positioning itself to seize the first-mover advantage in sodium batteries based on forward-looking judgments of the new energy industry trend, leading the industry into the sodium battery era,” said Tan Benhong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of China Changan Automobile Group. “By 2025, Changan’s new energy sales will exceed 1.1 million units, providing a market foundation of millions for large-scale application of sodium batteries. From high-end brands to mass-market brands, from passenger cars to commercial vehicles, Changan’s multi-brand matrix offers broad application scenarios for sodium batteries across different market segments.”

It is clear that the release of Changan’s sodium battery strategy is a significant move in its new energy sector layout, positioning it to compete in the diversified new energy technology route. This strategy not only enriches Changan’s technological reserves but also opens new possibilities for energy upgrades across its product lineup, aligning with the current automotive industry trend of “pure electric leadership and differentiated breakthroughs.” Automotive analyst Han Hao commented, “In an industry where fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles develop in parallel, Changan’s dual actions both consolidate its position in traditional market segments and lay the foundation for differentiated competition in the new energy track.”

Sodium Batteries Break Resource Dependence; Industry Competition Begins to Emerge

Thanks to advantages such as 30% lower cost than lithium iron phosphate and stable charge/discharge at -30°C, sodium-ion batteries have significant competitiveness in energy storage and low-speed electric vehicle fields. Over the past three years, departments such as the National Energy Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have issued multiple policy documents, actively supporting the development of the sodium battery industry from the national level. Policy focus has shifted from early directional guidance to specific technological breakthroughs and industrialization efforts.

Data shows that China’s proven lithium resources account for only about 5% of the global total, with 80% of lithium ore relying on imports, indicating high external dependence on resource supply. In contrast, sodium resources are 1,200 times more abundant than lithium, widely distributed, and can be produced from seawater. As the world’s largest producer and consumer of sodium salts, China has achieved self-sufficiency in sodium salts, eliminating import reliance.

Currently, sodium batteries are being scaled in key scenarios such as energy storage, lightweight power, and start-stop power supplies, while continuously exploring emerging niche markets, resulting in a diversified demand structure. According to data from Start Point Research Institute (SPIR), global sodium battery shipments are expected to reach 9GWh in 2025, a 150% year-over-year increase. By 2030, the global energy storage sodium battery market is projected to reach 580GWh, with the sodium-ion power battery market potentially surpassing 410GWh. Meanwhile, overseas markets are increasingly accepting sodium batteries, with CATL collaborating with European companies on planning 10GWh energy storage projects.

Data indicates that in 2025, China’s total sodium battery cathode production will reach 11,000 tons, a 101% increase year-over-year. It is expected that by 2026, sodium battery cathode production capacity will exceed 120,000 tons, supporting explosive growth in downstream sodium batteries and significantly improving capacity utilization.

Tian Li told Huaxia Times, “2026 will be the first year of large-scale application of sodium batteries in the passenger car market. As sodium battery technology continues to iterate and break through, energy density and cycle life will keep improving, further narrowing the performance gap with lithium iron phosphate batteries.” In the pure electric passenger vehicle segment, Changan’s first sodium battery-powered vehicle equipped with CATL’s “sodium new” battery is expected to dominate the 400 km range market as a new energy vehicle.

For CATL, “what CATL is doing is not ‘single-point breakthroughs’ but ‘full-chain ignition.’ From core material mass production to end-product deployment, from technological breakthroughs to large-scale order delivery, upstream and downstream companies in the industry chain are accelerating together, forming a collaborative development pattern,” Gao Huan said.

Currently, leading domestic power battery companies have initiated sodium battery R&D, with some already launching laboratory-stage sodium battery products focused on energy storage and lightweight commercial vehicles, aiming to achieve breakthroughs in niche markets. BYD has invested hundreds of millions of yuan to build 30GWh of sodium battery capacity, which will be fully released by 2026, pushing sodium batteries from laboratory research toward industrialization. By the end of 2025, EVE Energy plans to invest about 1 billion yuan in sodium battery projects, with a planned construction area of 90,000 square meters and an annual capacity target of 2GWh. Meanwhile, some independent brands are partnering with small and medium-sized battery companies to develop sodium vehicle models, mainly targeting entry-level passenger and commercial vehicle markets, attempting to capture market share through cost advantages.

“Currently, CATL leads the sodium battery race with its technological, capacity, and ecological advantages, but it has not yet achieved absolute monopoly. Competitors are accelerating their layout in this field, and the industrialization competition pattern of sodium batteries has already begun,” Han Hao said. “As the industry chain continues to improve and application scenarios expand, sodium batteries will not only reshape the competitive landscape of energy storage markets but also provide solid technological support for China’s energy transition.”