Chinese electric vehicle brand JAC Auto has unveiled the world’s first EV to be powered by a sodium-ion battery. The sodium-ion battery, which is considered a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries, was developed by Beijing-based startup Hina Battery Technologies, reports the South China Morning Post. The use of sodium-ion batteries is expected to reduce the cost of electric vehicles by at least 10 percent, increasing the viability of EVs compared to petrol, diesel or CNG vehicles.
According to industry experts, sodium-ion batteries are made using cheaper raw materials, thereby reducing the cost of the battery and, in turn, the cost of the electric vehicle. Not only this, sodium ion batteries provide EV manufacturers an alternative to existing technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, which are made of expensive and scarce materials. Besides lithium, cobalt is also rare and expensive.
As far as JAC’s Chinese electric vehicle is concerned, the EV packs a 25 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery that can go up to 250 km on a single charge, reports IANS. “The rise in lithium carbonate prices last year caused many battery manufacturers and downstream users to face rising cost pressures,” said battery maker Hina.
“Therefore, sodium-ion batteries offering superior cost-performance, high safety as well as excellent cycle performance are widely expected as the most promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries.” The density of sodium-ion batteries is lower than that of their lithium-ion counterparts. These batteries have advantages such as low-temperature performance and charging speed.
Chinese electric vehicle brands are slowly making their mark on the global stage, leaving many established automakers behind. Chinese electric carmaker BYD is expanding operations overseas, setting a unit sales target for 2023 to overtake Elon Musk-run Tesla. Operating in more than 40 countries, BYD plans to sell about two million EVs this year, according to a report in Nikkei Asia, which includes Japan and countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.
According to Juniper Research, the total number of plug-in vehicles will surpass 137 million globally by 2027, up from 49 million in 2023.