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BYD to build sodium-ion battery production base in Xuzhou

will set up a joint venture with a local conglomerate to build a sodium-ion battery production base in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province.

(Image credit: Huaihai Holding Group)

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) will set up a joint venture with a local conglomerate to build a sodium-ion battery production base, the first time we've seen it move forward in building capacity for this alternative to lithium batteries.

Huaihai Holding Group and BYD's battery unit FinDreams signed a strategic cooperation agreement at BYD's Shenzhen headquarters on June 8, according to a press release from Huaihai yesterday.

The two parties will establish a joint venture to build a sodium-ion battery production base in Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone in Jiangsu province to jointly create the world's largest supplier of sodium battery systems for micro vehicles, according to the press release.

Huaihai will provide its resources including markets and application scenarios, and FinDreams will provide products and services, the release said.

Huaihai said it sees the tremendous economic and social value of sodium batteries and began its involvement in the industry years ago with a strategic investment in sodium-ion battery startup Natrium.

Huaihai and FinDreams will expand demand for mini-vehicle batteries nationwide and globally, centered on Xuzhou, it said.

Huaihai's press release provided no further details. The company was founded in 1976 and has operations in small vehicles, electric vehicles, parts and components, and financial services.

Since last November, there have been several rumors that BYD's sodium-ion battery would be in mass production in 2023 and that the first model to carry the battery would be the Seagull.

However, none of these rumors have been confirmed by BYD. BYD launched the Seagull on April 26 with a starting price of RMB 73,800 ($10,350), though no version with the sodium battery is yet available.

On February 23, battery maker Hina Battery unveiled three sodium-ion battery cell products and announced a partnership with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC).

Hina Battery and Sehol -- a joint venture brand between JAC and Volkswagen Anhui -- jointly built a test vehicle with sodium-ion batteries based on the latter's Sehol E10X model.

On April 16, announced that its sodium-ion batteries will first be used in Chery's models. CATL unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion batteries on July 29, 2021, saying that the energy density of the cells alone has reached 160Wh/kg.

On April 20, local media 36kr reported that CATL's and BYD's sodium-ion batteries will both be installed in production vehicles this year, and they will both be a mix of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries currently have lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries, but cost less and sodium resources are seen as more abundant and readily available.

In the past two years, as lithium prices continue to rise sharply, sodium-ion batteries are highly anticipated.

However, since the beginning of this year, with the continued decline in lithium prices, sodium-ion batteries are seen as having a reduced cost advantage.

Sodium-ion's abundant resource reserves are difficult to quickly translate into cost advantages, and when the cost of lithium iron phosphate batteries is rapidly declining, automakers are hardly motivated to choose to carry sodium-ion batteries in the short term, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said in a report on May 22.

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CATL, BYD's sodium-ion batteries both to be in mass production within this year, report says

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Cost advantage of sodium-ion batteries decreases as lithium prices fall

With the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate falling back to around RMB 300,000 per ton, the cost advantage of sodium batteries is seen as no longer prominent.

The dramatic rise in lithium carbonate prices over the past few years has led many to look to the lower cost of sodium-ion batteries.

However, with the prolonged decline in the price of lithium carbonate, a key raw material for lithium-ion batteries, earlier in the year, the cost advantage of sodium-ion batteries is seen as having diminished significantly.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate surged in 2022, with prices once topping RMB 600,000 (84,400) per ton, and in this context, sodium-ion batteries were highly sought after, the Shanghai Securities News noted in a report today.

However, very few models are confirmed to carry sodium-ion batteries this year, with only Chery's iCar, Sehol E10X and Jiangling EV3 having been the few ones, the report said.

Meanwhile, the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate has fallen back to around RMB 300,000 per ton, and the cost advantage of sodium batteries is no longer prominent, the report said.

Lithium carbonate price in China rose to about RMB 600,000 per ton at one point in November 2022, about 14 times the average RMB 41,000 per ton price in June 2020.

After that, however, lithium carbonate price began to decline until a month ago, when it finally stopped falling.

Prior to April 21, lithium carbonate price had not seen a single day of gains in China this year, falling about 65 percent since the beginning of the year.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate today averaged RMB 305,000 per ton in China, while industrial-grade lithium carbonate stood at RMB 290,000 per ton, according to data from Mysteel.

The battery industry chain has been actively developing sodium-ion batteries in recent years, and currently has mass production capabilities, but the feedback from the demand side is not positive, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said in a report on May 22.

Sodium-ion batteries are still in the early stages of industrialization, and their cost advantages cannot be fully exploited at this time due to controversial core technology routes, inadequate supply chain preparation, and immature production processes, the CPCA said.

Sodium-ion's abundant resource reserves are difficult to quickly translate into cost advantages, and when the cost of lithium iron phosphate batteries is rapidly declining, automakers are hardly motivated to choose to carry sodium-ion batteries in the short term, according to the CPCA.

Nevertheless, the development of the sodium-ion industry chain in China continues.

There are currently more than 35 sodium-ion battery manufacturers in China in the interim-testing stage, with another 50 or more in the lab stage, Shanghai Securities News said, citing data from local think tank GGII.

Companies able to provide samples are expected to exceed 20 in the first half of 2023, and more than five companies will achieve mass production of sodium-ion batteries in the second half of the year, according to the report.

The sodium-ion battery industry chain is not yet mature, and it will take at least two to three years for the industry to really move toward industrialization, said Chen Liangqin, director of local lithium battery maker Veken Technology, as quoted by Shanghai Securities News.

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Battery-grade lithium carbonate price up by RMB 2,500 per ton

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CATL, BYD’s sodium-ion batteries both to be in mass production within this year, report says

CATL and BYD's sodium-ion batteries to be put into mass production will both be a mix of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, according to local media.

CATL, BYD's sodium-ion batteries both to be in mass production within this year, report says-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

BYD's progress in mass production of sodium-ion batteries does not seem to differ much from CATL's, although it has not announced the latest progress.

CATL and BYD's sodium-ion batteries will both be carried in mass-produced vehicles within the year, and they will both be a mix of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, according to a report by local media 36kr today.

CATL's sodium-ion battery will be installed in the first model of Chery's new energy vehicle (NEV) brand iCAR, which is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of this year, according to the report.

CATL, BYD's sodium-ion batteries both to be in mass production within this year, report says-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

The sodium-ion battery will also be used in Chery's small NEVs, such as the QQ Ice Cream and the Little Ant, the report said.

With the big rise in lithium prices last year, leading battery makers including BYD and CATL have accelerated the pace of sodium-ion battery development.

BYD's sodium-ion battery will also be in mass production in the second half of the year, and the first model to carry the battery will be the Seagull, the report said, citing a BYD source.

The battery will also be a hybrid sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery, according to the report.

Sodium-ion batteries cost less, but currently have low energy density.

The energy density of sodium-ion batteries is now about similar to that of lithium iron phosphate batteries around 2014, the latter of which can only support a range of about 150km in small micro vehicles, the 36kr report noted.

CATL unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion battery on July 29, 2021, saying that the energy density of the single cell had reached 160Wh/kg.

The company said at the time that the energy density of the first-generation sodium-ion battery was slightly lower than that of lithium iron phosphate batteries. However, it has obvious advantages in low-temperature performance and fast charging, especially in high-power application scenarios in alpine regions.

CATL's next-generation sodium-ion battery will have an energy density exceeding 200Wh/kg, it said at the 2021 launch event.

Sodium-ion batteries are expected to be carried in electric vehicles, said Huang Qisen, vice president of CATL research institute, at a forum related to sodium-ion batteries on November 29, 2022.

As for applications in passenger cars, sodium-ion batteries can generally meet the needs of models with a range of up to 400 kilometers, Huang said at the forum.

With its pioneering AB battery system integration technology, CATL has achieved a mix of sodium ion and lithium ion, allowing them to complement each other and thus increase the energy density of the battery system, Huang said at the time.

This approach is expected to enable sodium-ion batteries to support electric vehicle models with a range of up to 500 kilometers, he said, adding that models with that range account for 65 percent of the market share, meaning the use of sodium-ion batteries is promising.

CATL's sodium-ion batteries will first be used in Chery's models, it announced on April 16.

Last November, there were several rumors that BYD's sodium-ion battery would be mass-produced in 2023 and that the first model to be equipped with the battery would be the Seagull. But none of these rumors were confirmed.

Earlier today, LatePost reported that BYD had planned to put the sodium-ion battery in the new Seagull model in the second quarter of this year, but that plan has been delayed.

BYD responded by saying that the information was untrue, the LatePost story noted.

BYD launched the Seagull and started pre-sales of it on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, and the model is the latest addition to its Ocean series.

The car is available in three versions, with pre-sale prices of RMB 78,800 ($11,450), 83,800 and 95,800 respectively.

Notably, the model uses BYD's blade batteries based on lithium iron phosphate chemistry with pack capacities of 30.08 kWh and 38.88 kWh, respectively.

The car is offered in two range versions, with the lower-priced two models having a CLTC range of 305 km and the highest-priced version having a range of 405 km.

The Seagull received more than 10,000 orders in the 24 hours after pre-sale began, BYD said yesterday.

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Chery to be 1st automaker to adopt CATL's sodium-ion batteries

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Chery to be 1st automaker to adopt CATL’s sodium-ion batteries

In the passenger car segment, sodium-ion batteries can generally meet the needs of models with a range of up to 400 kilometers, a CATL executive previously said.

CATL's sodium-ion batteries are not far from starting to be installed in vehicles, after the Chinese power battery giant unveiled the new batteries in July 2021.

CATL's sodium-ion batteries will first be used in Chery's models, the battery maker announced today.

Sodium-ion batteries will break through resource bottlenecks and is a cost-effective choice, CATL said, without giving further details.

CATL will hold a zero-carbon strategy launch event from 15:00 to 15:20 on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18. Its booth at the event is 8B05 in Hall 8.2.

CATL unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion battery on July 29, 2021, saying that the energy density of the cell alone had reached 160Wh/kg.

The company said at the time that the energy density of the first-generation sodium-ion battery was slightly lower than that of the lithium iron phosphate battery. However, it has obvious advantages in low-temperature performance and fast charging, especially in high-power application scenarios in alpine regions.

CATL's next-generation sodium-ion battery energy density will exceed 200Wh/kg, it said in 2021, adding that the company has already started the industrialization layout of sodium-ion batteries and plans to form a basic industrial chain in 2023.

CATL did not mention the possible areas of use for sodium-ion batteries in its brief launch event at the time, although industry sources and analysts generally believe that the batteries, with their low energy density, will probably be used mainly in energy storage and two-wheeled vehicles.

On November 29, 2022, Huang Qisen, vice president of CATL research institute, said at a forum that sodium-ion batteries are expected to be carried in electric vehicles, the first time someone from the power battery giant publicly mentioned the prospect of using this new battery in passenger cars.

As for applications in passenger cars, sodium-ion batteries generally meet the needs of models with a range of up to 400 kilometers, Huang said at the forum.

With its pioneering AB battery system integration technology, CATL has achieved a mix of sodium ion and lithium ion, allowing them to complement each other and thus increase the energy density of the battery system, Huang said at the time.

This approach is expected to enable sodium-ion batteries to support electric vehicle models with a range of up to 500 kilometers, he said, adding that models with that range account for 65 percent of the market share, meaning the use of sodium-ion batteries is promising.

Notably, two months ago, an unnamed Chinese power battery maker had already begun fitting sodium-ion batteries into passenger cars.

On February 23, Hina Battery unveiled three sodium-ion battery cell products and announced a partnership with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC), one of whose models became the first to carry sodium-ion batteries.

Hina Battery and Sehol, a joint venture between JAC and Volkswagen Anhui, have jointly built a test vehicle with sodium-ion batteries based on the latter's Sehol E10X model.

The test vehicle has a battery pack with a capacity of 25 kWh and an energy density of 120 Wh/kg. The model has a range of 252 km and supports fast charging from 3C to 4C. The battery pack uses cells with an energy density of 140 Wh/kg.

Hina Battery becomes 1st battery maker to put sodium-ion batteries in EVs in China

Chery to be 1st automaker to adopt CATL's sodium-ion batteries-CnEVPost

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Hina Battery becomes 1st battery maker to put sodium-ion batteries in EVs in China

The unveiling of the Sehol EX10 test vehicle means that sodium-ion batteries are starting to be used in passenger cars, after the new batteries were mainly used in electric two-wheelers and for energy storage.

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