The Strange Time Compression of Sodium-Ion Battery Development - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica highlights the rapid and somewhat unexpected acceleration in the development and commercialization of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), particularly driven by Chinese companies. China dominates over 50% of the global EV battery market, with major players like CATL and BYD leading in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries. However, smaller firms such as Beijing HiNa have made significant strides in sodium-ion technology, exemplified by their deployment of a 200 MWh grid storage system in 2024. BYD and CATL are also heavily investing in sodium-ion battery production, with BYD constructing a 30 GWh factory and introducing containerized energy storage units aimed at the utility market. These developments suggest a strong push to commercialize SIBs despite some skepticism regarding their current energy density and performance compared to lithium-based batteries. While early analyses and social media discussions have pointed out limitations of sodium-ion batteries, such as lower energy density relative to