Volkswagen is backing a new Chinese EV brand called Yiwei, and the company has debuted the first electric vehicle powered by sodium-ion batteries.
Yiwei, from JAC Group, was established in early 2023. The company's new EV, the Yiwei 3, uses HiNa Battery's sodium-ion cylindrical cells. Yiwei also announced another sodium-ion powered vehicle, the Sehol E10X, which can recharge from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes, according to Electrek.
JAC says that the sodium-ion batteries have faster charging speeds, increased durability, and longer overall life spans than their lithium-ion counterparts.
Sodium-ion batteries are cheaper to make than lithium-ion ones and are also more sustainable to produce, as lithium extraction for lithium-ion batteries has considerable environmental impact. However, they store less energy than lithium-ion batteries, which is why the more expensive and less sustainable batteries have dominated the EV market.
"Sodium-ion batteries will become an important battery type, complementary to LFP batteries, and a low-cost solution that promotes the popularization of mass electric vehicles to masses," said Xia Shunli, the chairman of Yiwei Tech.
Sodium-ion batteries are also being supported by Chinese EV manufacturers BYD and Huahai Holding Group. And in North America, battery manufacturer Northvolt announced that it is also manufacturing sodium-ion batteries in Quebec.
Electrek commenters shared their excitement over batteries made with sodium-ion (sometimes abbreviated to Na-ion for the element's abbreviation in the periodic table).
"I have high hopes for the new Na-ion battery types to make cheap but good quality cells available for average people once their mass production starts in earnest," one user wrote.
"So maybe we are looking at a future where vehicles that [prioritize] long range will still be lithium, but those for very cold climes or very frugal drivers will use sodium," another user said.
A third user commented: "An entirely new battery chemistry doesn't appear in a mass-produced product every day."Â
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