Are there any cars that use sodium ion batteries?

For now, there are no passenger cars or trucks sold in the United States that use sodium-ion batteries. Some sodium-ion models are available in China and countries that import vehicles from China. “The reason we’re pursuing this is very simple,” said Venkat Srinivasan, a battery scientist at Argonne and the director of the new collaboration.

What is CATL's first-generation sodium-ion battery?

CATL's first-generation sodium-ion battery. Credit: CATL Sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage are moving toward the mainstream. Wider use of these batteries could lead to lower costs, less fire risk, and less need for lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

What is a sodium ion battery?

Sodium-ion batteries use sodium ions (Na+) instead of lithium ions (Li+). Sodium, abundant in nature, is an alkaline metal found in sea salt and the earth's crust. Although they have been studied since the 1980s, their potential for energy storage was rediscovered in the 21st century.

Will sodium-ion batteries be more common in low-cost EVs?

He expects that sodium-ion batteries will be more common in low-cost EVs for people who live in cities or suburbs and don’t place a high premium on driving range. “It will not be a fringe player,” he said, about sodium-ion.

How much energy does a sodium ion battery use?

A typical sodium-ion battery has an energy density of about 150 watt-hours per kilogram at the cell level, he said. Lithium-ion batteries can range from about 180 to nearly 300 watt-hours per kilogram. I asked Srinivasan what he makes of CATL’s claim of a sodium-ion battery with 200 watt-hours per kilogram.

Can battery storage systems be retrofitted in Spain?

The first solution is battery storage systems that enable peak shift, i.e. feeding electricity into the grid at times when the wholesale price is higher, usually before and after sunset. Fortunately, the retrofitting of battery storage systems in Spain is unproblematic from a regulatory perspective.