What are the advantages of Sodium Ion batteries?

　　On July 29, 2021, CATL officially lunched the first-generation sodium-ion battery. What are the characteristics of this new product?

　　1. Energy density

　　The energy density of the sodium ion battery released this time can reach 160Wh/kg, which is the highest level in the world at present, and exceeds previous market expectations. In a horizontal comparison, the energy density of lithium iron phosphate batteries in the current industry is about 120-180Wh/kg, and the ternary battery is about 240Wh/kg.

　　It is worth noting that CATL stated that the energy density of next-generation sodium-ion batteries will exceed 200Wh/kg. From a long-term perspective, it may not be impossible for sodium-ion batteries to replace lithium iron phosphate batteries or move toward the mainstream.

　　2. Fast charge & low temperature performance

　　Sodium ion batteries perform well in terms of fast charging and low temperature performance. It can be charged with 80% of the power in 15 minutes at room temperature. In a low temperature environment of -20°C, the discharge retention rate can reach more than 90%. The charging performance and low temperature performance are better than lithium iron phosphate batteries, which can alleviate the anxiety of new energy vehicles at this stage and the anxiety of winter vehicles.

　　3. Safety performance

　　Thanks to the good thermal stability of sodium ion, sodium ion battery can achieve no fire or explosion in safety test such as acupuncture, squeeze, overcharge, over-discharge, etc.; in the logistics link, sodium ion battery can realize 0V transportation, thereby reducing the safety risk of battery transportation.

　　4. System integration

　　The advantage of sodium ion batteries is also reflected in the integration efficiency, which can reach more than 80%, which is better than the integration efficiency of lithium iron phosphate batteries. In other words, the energy density of sodium-ion battery packs can be over 128Wh/kg. This level of battery pack energy density performance is also sufficient to meet the requirements of some low-end electric vehicles.

　　5. AB battery

　　What really allows sodium-ion batteries to quickly enter real applications is the AB battery technology unveiled this time, which can make up for the shortcomings of sodium-ion batteries in a short period of time and maximize the energy efficiency of the battery pack.

　　Generally speaking, traditional battery packs are composed of cells of the same material system, while AB batteries are battery packs that mix and match the batteries of the A system and the B system. In this way, the AB battery pack can learn from each other's strengths, and maximize the advantages of the battery pack according to the performance and characteristics of batteries with different material systems.

　　The method is to mix and match sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries, which can increase the energy density of the entire battery pack with the help of the high energy density of lithium-ion batteries, and at the same time give full play to the advantages of sodium-ion batteries' fast charging and low-temperature performance.

　　However, whether the market can accept sodium-ion batteries and how much the theoretical advantages of sodium-ion can be realized in real applications remains to be tested by time. But what is certain is that under the pressure of multiple factors such as technology, market, capital, etc., there is a real possibility to basically form a sodium-ion battery industry chain in 2023. Or, using sodium-ion batteries to reshape the battery energy market in the next 10 years may be what battery manufacturers want to do the most.