Chinese EV maker showcases world’s first car powered by sodium-ion battery

Beijing. Chinese EV maker JAC has displayed the world’s first electric vehicle (EV) powered by an inexpensive sodium-ion battery that could help reduce the cost of future EVs by up to 10 percent. This information was given in the media report on Friday.

Sodium-ion batteries use cheaper raw materials and could provide EV manufacturers an alternative to existing technologies that rely on lithium and cobalt as key ingredients.

The sodium-ion battery was developed by Beijing-based startup Hina Battery Technologies, reports the South China Morning Post.

Hina said in a statement that the JAC EV is powered by a 25 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery that can go up to 250 km on a single charge.

“Last year’s increase in lithium carbonate prices caused many battery manufacturers and downstream users to face rising cost pressures,” Hina said.

“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.

Hina, established in 2017, is engaged in the development and commercialization of sodium-ion batteries.

Meanwhile, 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.

In December last year, BYD Auto continued to lead the global market, shipping over 5,37,000 EV units, a growth of 197 per cent (year-on-year).

Global electric vehicle (EV) charging revenue is expected to exceed $300 billion by 2027, up from $66 billion in 2023, a report said this week.

According to Juniper Research, the total number of plug-in vehicles will cross 137 million globally by 2027, up from 49 million in 2023.(IANS)

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