The rising demand for zero-emission mobility goes beyond the nice idea of preventing a catastrophic climate crisis. EVs are a better fit for the connected, electrified lifestyle of the 21st century; they offer more opportunities for convenience, they are more useful for weathering power outages and climate-connected emergencies, and they are more adaptable to the needs of fleet managers, among other advantages.
However, while some researchers note that “salt batteries” are not quite ready for prime time, other stakeholders — including industry leader CATL — are already laying plans for mass production. Last month, CATL also burned up the Internet when it announced a suite of two sodium-ion batteries ready for full volume production by the end of this year.
The hero of the EV revolution, lithium-ion battery technology, is beginning to make room for new battery chemistries that offer a more abundant and accessible supply chain, reduce the reliance on toxic inputs, and achieve both cost and safety improvements.
Source: Clean Technica: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Thenew sodium-ion battery is not designed to compete directly against NMC Li-ion in all EVs as its energy density is comparable to LFP Lithium ion batteries, with an energy density of 175Wh/kg. While the battery will need some tweaks, it does support superfast charging and has a good battery life too. There will be a cost advantage over Lithium ion batteries and possibly most importantly sodium is not a critical mineral. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
