Sodium-ion batteries are already shaping up to be a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries: they should help reduce the price of electric cars.
The craze for electrified vehicles is growing, with growing demand for electric and hybrid cars. Manufacturers are working to lower costs to make these vehicles more affordable to a wider customer base. However, the cost and ecological impact of batteries remain major concerns. THE sodium-ion batteries could they constitute a solution for more economical and ecological electric cars?
Looking for a more economical and ecological solution
Always on the lookout for technological developments, automobile manufacturers are investing massively in the electrification of vehicles. A trend that aligns with recent political directives, while meeting consumer expectations in an approach to environmental preservation. The transition to electric and hybrid vehicles is therefore accelerating, but it faces a major obstacle: the cost and ecological impact of batteries that power these vehicles.
Lithium, a key element in current batteries, is at the heart of the debate. It is criticized both for its price and for the environmental issues it raises. The automotive sector is therefore looking for more viable alternatives. THE sodium, less expensive and potentially less harmful to the environmentpresents itself as a promising candidate to replace lithium in electric vehicle batteries.
Sodium-ion batteries, once considered a second-tier technology due to their presumed slower development, may soon revolutionize the market.
Sodium-ion batteries: many advantages
Earlier this year, Chinese automaker JAC announced that its Yiwei electric car would feature an innovative sodium-ion battery, supplied by Hina Battery. At the same time, JMEV, the result of a collaboration between Renault and Jiangling, also announced its intention to launch a new electric model, this time with a sodium-ion battery designed by Farasis Energy.
Sodium-ion batteries, while still emerging in the electric vehicle space, have distinctive features that could reshape the industry. From disadvantages Notable, there is a relatively low energy density, which can lead to an increase in vehicle weight compared to lithium technologies.
Nevertheless, the advantages of sodium-ion batteries are numerous and should not be underestimated: they offer increased safety against the fire and explosion risks of lithium-ion batteries, they are more ecological than lithium or cobalt batteries, sodium is abundant and widely available across the world, their electrolyte is simpler to produce, electrode collectors can be made from aluminum rather than copper, which is a more durable and economical solution, they work efficiently in cold weather, and finally, they are approximately 30% cheaper than lithium-ion batteries.
With the rapid pace of technological progress in the automotive field, it is very likely that sodium-ion batteries will soon become the normthus offering a sustainable and economical alternative to lithium-ion batteries.