LOWER-COST SODIUM-ION BATTERIES ARE FINALLY HAVING THEIR MOMENT

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

CATL, the world's largest battery manufacturer, has announced its second-generation sodium-ion battery, which has an energy density of 200 watt-hours per kilogram. The company plans to start mass production of the battery in 2027. Sodium-ion batteries perform better than lithium-ion batteries in extreme cold and they carry a much lower risk of fire. The process for manufacturing sodium-ion batteries is similar to that of lithium-ion batteries, so existing assembly lines can be reused without having to spend heavily on retooling. Their biggest disadvantage is low energy density, but they have the potential to be cost-competitive with lithium-ion batteries.