Following years of market development, the large-scale delivery of sodium-ion batteries is now on the agenda. After CATL (300750.SZ) announced its mass production timeline and signed a major order with Beijing Hyperstrong Technology Co.,Ltd. (688411.SH), Wang Yifei, President of the Forward Technology Research Institute at Gotion High-Tech Co.,Ltd. (002074.SZ), recently stated at the 2026 Global Technology Conference that the company expects to achieve large-scale mass production of sodium-ion batteries in the fourth quarter of 2026. Beyond the mass production plans of leading companies, it was noted at the 18th China International Battery Fair (CIBF2026) this month that nearly all major battery manufacturers showcased their latest sodium-ion battery and material products, claiming to have the necessary conditions for mass production. This indicates that the sodium-ion battery industry has fully transitioned from lab R&D and sample validation and is about to enter the phase of large-scale deployment.
Interviews with multiple sources reveal that some companies have already reduced the manufacturing cost of sodium-ion cells from 0.35-0.45 yuan/Wh in Q1 this year to 0.3 yuan/Wh. Industry insiders optimistically predict that sodium-ion battery costs could match those of lithium batteries within this year. However, material shortages are expected to become a bottleneck for industry scale-up, prompting upstream material companies to accelerate capacity expansion. Wang Yifei believes that, from an overall industry benefit perspective, the full industrial deployment of sodium-ion batteries could effectively stabilize lithium carbonate price fluctuations, alleviate raw material cost pressures across the entire supply chain, and contribute to building a cost-effective new energy power system combining sodium, lithium, and photovoltaic energy. This is seen as the most stable mainstream development model for the future new energy industry.
Progress: Leading Companies Have Initiated Mass Production Preparations In 2026, the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries is accelerating comprehensively. At the CIBF2026 exhibition, sodium-ion batteries have become a must-show star product for leading battery manufacturers. The exhibition covered an area of 280,000 square meters across 14 themed halls, showcasing products ranging from upstream core raw materials like cathodes, anodes, electrolytes, and separators, to midstream cells of various specifications, and downstream applications including energy storage, new energy vehicles, two-wheelers, and specialized equipment.
Among battery manufacturers, leading players such as CATL, Byd Company Limited (002594.SZ), Sunwoda Electronic Co.,Ltd. (300207.SZ), Zhongke Haina, and Guangzhou Great Power Energy And Technology Co.,Ltd. (300438.SZ) brought their latest sodium-ion battery technologies and products, displaying them in prominent areas. On the materials side, leading companies including Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co.,Ltd. (688005.SH), Jiana Energy, Zhongna Energy, and Yunnan Energy New Material(Group)Co.,Ltd. (002812.SZ) also participated. Yunnan Energy New Material(Group)Co.,Ltd. launched a new generation of separators specifically for sodium-ion batteries, LanGu New Energy showcased high-rate, wide-temperature-range sodium-ion electrolytes, and Yijin New Energy displayed a series of products including hard carbon anodes and porous carbon precursors for sodium-ion batteries.
In terms of performance parameters, the energy density of sodium-ion battery products exhibited by leading manufacturers is generally around 160-180 Wh/kg. In comparison, mainstream lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for high-end passenger vehicles can reach around 190 Wh/kg, indicating a narrowing gap in energy density. Staff from Sunwoda Electronic Co.,Ltd. introduced at the exhibition that their sodium-ion battery product achieves a cycle life exceeding 20,000 cycles at a 1P charge/discharge rate. For automotive applications, their product targets new energy vehicles in extremely cold regions, with over 80% usable capacity at -40°C and an energy density of 180 Wh/kg. A representative from Zhongke Haina stated that with continuous technological iteration, the energy density of their new-generation cathode material has significantly improved, narrowing the gap with LFP batteries to within 10%. The sodium-ion battery product recently released by Gotion High-Tech Co.,Ltd. achieved a substantial leap in energy density through an anode-free structural design, with an energy storage version offering 180Ah single-cell capacity and a power version reaching 162 Wh/kg. CATL's second-generation sodium-ion battery boasts an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, approaching LFP levels, a cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles, and retains 90% of cell energy at -40°C.
Beyond performance, key industry challenges hindering mass production have been successively overcome by leading companies. CATL previously stated it has successfully resolved four major industry challenges for sodium-ion battery mass production, with plans to begin production in Q4. Gotion High-Tech Co.,Ltd. announced it has overcome multiple safety issues, including sodium dendrite formation and thermal runaway, by optimizing electrolyte formulations to build a safety protection system, with its sodium-ion batteries passing extreme safety tests. The company confirmed its sodium-ion battery products meet mass production conditions, and preparatory work has begun, with mass production and delivery expected in Q4 this year.
Cost: Industry Optimistically Predicts Parity with Lithium Within the Year Since 2026, as lithium prices have remained elevated, the cost advantage of sodium-ion batteries has become increasingly apparent. On May 22, SMM quoted the spot average price for battery-grade lithium carbonate at 177,500 yuan/ton and industrial-grade at 174,500 yuan/ton. Industry calculations suggest sodium-ion batteries become economically viable when lithium carbonate prices exceed 120,000 yuan/ton. Public data shows that in Q1 2026, sodium-ion cell costs had dropped to 0.35-0.40 yuan/Wh, narrowing the price gap with LFP batteries to within 0.1 yuan/Wh. Institutional research forecasts sodium cell costs could fall to 0.25 yuan/Wh by 2030.
It is learned that leading companies have achieved a cost level of around 0.35 yuan/Wh, with sodium cell costs on some production lines further reduced to approximately 0.3 yuan/Wh, often through optimized solutions involving polyanion cathodes, hard carbon anodes, and aluminum foil current collectors, though this is not yet the industry norm. LFP battery cell costs are currently around 0.30–0.35 yuan/Wh. "After the second half of the year, with the commissioning of multiple 10,000-ton-level sodium-ion production lines in the industry, sodium-ion battery costs will catch up with lithium batteries. Widespread adoption is expected in the second half of next year to the year after," Wang Yifei stated. However, a more optimistic industry view holds that cost parity could be achieved within this year. Gan Lin, Deputy General Manager of Zhongna Energy, indicated that sodium-ion batteries can achieve price parity with lithium batteries when lithium carbonate prices stabilize above 150,000 yuan/ton. The current price has reached an inflection point, and sodium-lithium price parity will be realized within 2026.
A representative from a sodium-ion battery company stated that polyanion sodium-ion batteries hold significant advantages over LFP and lead-acid batteries in four dimensions: manufacturing cost, low-temperature performance, safety, and rate capability. Based on mature technology, the manufacturing cost of phosphate polyanion sodium-ion batteries can be reduced to 0.2-0.3 yuan/Wh. The core advantages lie in the abundant reserves of sodium resources and potential further cost reductions through savings on current collectors, offering stronger price stability. LFP battery manufacturing costs range from 0.25-0.35 yuan/Wh and are more susceptible to fluctuations in upstream lithium carbonate prices, resulting in weaker cost stability compared to sodium-ion batteries.
Reportedly, raw materials account for approximately 30%–40% of sodium-ion battery costs, with the remainder comprising manufacturing, depreciation, and yield rates. The industry widely believes that "scale + material localization" is the key to pushing sodium-ion costs below 0.30 yuan/Wh.
Applications: Potential for Diversification Following Energy Storage Regarding application scenarios, it is an industry consensus that the energy storage sector will be the first to scale up. Qian Zhenhua, President of Energy Storage Cells at Envision AESC, stated that sodium-ion batteries will first achieve large-scale application in AIDC and extreme temperature (high/low) fields. The core advantages of sodium-ion batteries are high rate capability and high safety, enabling 6P discharge, making them an ideal choice for AIDC energy storage batteries following GPU upgrades. As capacity ramps up and the supply chain matures, sodium-ion batteries are expected to carve out a differentiated growth path in energy storage, complementing lithium-ion batteries.
Current energy storage applications in AIDC are mainly divided into three scenarios: outside the wall (outside the campus), medium-voltage side (35kV), and board-end (chip power supply). In the energy storage field, in April, CATL announced a strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing Hyperstrong Technology Co.,Ltd. for energy storage sodium-ion batteries, securing a 3-year, 60 GWh order. It has been found that several sodium-ion energy storage power station demonstration projects have been built domestically. These include the national first 100 MWh-level sodium-ion battery energy storage station—the second-phase expansion of the Guangxi Nanning Fulin Sodium-ion Battery Energy Storage Station, which officially commenced operation in October last year. In January this year, the first phase of the 100 MW/200 MWh Honghu City Sodium-ion Energy Storage Station demonstration project, constructed by PowerChina, passed final acceptance.
Beyond energy storage, industry insiders generally indicate that after scaling up in energy storage, sodium-ion batteries will likely see diversified application. "The future will be a parallel landscape of sodium and lithium. What lithium batteries can do, sodium batteries can also do." Currently, leading companies' strategies also involve multi-line layouts. Gao Huan, CTO of CATL, publicly stated in late April that the company's sodium-ion batteries have passed the validation phase, achieving a range of 300 km for extended-range vehicles and 500 km for pure electric vehicles. From late this year to the first half of next year, CATL plans to first integrate them into the passenger vehicle battery swap system. Wang Yifei also stated that, besides energy storage, Gotion High-Tech Co.,Ltd.'s sodium-ion batteries will gradually expand to new energy vehicles, specialized equipment, and other diverse fields, building a full-scenario sodium-ion application ecosystem. Future products will cover energy storage, low-altitude applications, light-duty power, and multiple other scenarios. A relevant person in charge at Zhongke Haina stated that the industry generally anticipates 2026 as the window for large-scale commercial application of sodium-ion batteries, and companies have already completed application pilot layouts in multiple细分领域.
Upstream: Supply Shortages May Constrain Sodium-ion Battery Scale-Up As uncertainties surrounding overseas lithium resource supply increase, the parallel industrial landscape of lithium and sodium is further established. The concentrated release of demand for sodium-ion batteries from downstream applications like energy storage, civilian power, and data centers further highlights the短板 in upstream raw material capacity. A materials company insider revealed that a leading state-owned enterprise has released a demand for 12 GWh of sodium-ion energy storage and has engaged with multiple companies, but many missed the order due to insufficient capacity.
Wang Yifei believes the current sodium-ion industry's capacity布局 is relatively slow, with a scarcity of mature 10,000-ton-level production lines. Most materials can only maintain千吨级 capacity, keeping sodium-ion battery costs higher than lithium batteries. Although工艺 challenges like high residual alkali in materials, electrode moisture, and anode gas generation have been overcome, and yield rates have matched those of lithium batteries, insufficient capacity still prevents the release of scale-driven cost reduction benefits. Cao Yuliang, Chairman of Jiana Energy,认为当前电池终端需求高速增长，但钠电上游关键材料未形成成熟规模化供给体系，存在明显缺口，即便现有万吨级产线满负荷运转，也无法满足下游头部企业采购需求。
Currently, listed materials companies are accelerating R&D and规模化布局. Among them, global electrolyte leader Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co.,Ltd. (002709.SZ), sodium hexafluorophosphate leader Do-Fluoride New Materials Co.,Ltd. (002407.SZ), and cathode material producers Guizhou Zhenhua E-Chem Inc. (688707.SH), Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co.,Ltd., and Hongxing Development can supply core sodium-ion battery materials. Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co.,Ltd.'s 6,000-ton NFPP pilot line in Xiantao has entered the product调试阶段, and a new 10,000-ton production line is being planned for imminent落地. Meanwhile, Beijing Easpring Material Technology Co.,Ltd. (300073.SZ) is currently布局 layered oxide and polyanion materials for sodium-ion cathodes, with products entering the批量验证阶段; global hard carbon anode leader BTR (920185.BJ) is a core supplier to major battery manufacturers; Ningbo Shanshan Co.,Ltd. (600884.SH) has focused on硬碳负极材料, achieving批量应用 in sodium-ion batteries, lithium batteries (including semi-solid-state), and supercapacitors; Shenzhen Capchem Technology Co.,Ltd. (300037.SZ) possesses technical reserves for sodium-ion battery electrolytes and has布局 related core raw materials, with相关产品总计已实现千吨级别交付.
It is noted that besides battery leaders treating materials as multi-technology route reserves, non-listed companies within the industry are also intensifying R&D and capacity布局. A relevant person in charge at Zhongna Energy stated that the company has built a 10,000-ton cathode material production line and completed a 6,000-ton hard carbon anode line,具备规模化交付能力. "Current inquiries and orders have increased significantly compared to last year. The company plans to expand cathode and anode material capacity to several tens of thousands of tons in the next 3-5 years." A representative from Zhongna Energy stated that the company's supporting cell pilot production line has been同步建成,具备电芯快速验证及技术迭代的能力. By cooperating with成熟电芯厂 to promote GWh-level sodium cell mass production, yield rates are steadily improving, and costs are continuously declining. The world's first 10,000-ton-level sodium ferric sulfate cathode base built by the company commenced operation in January 2026. Currently, "the company has饱满在手订单, with 10,000-ton cathode material capacity already locked in, and inquiries for cells and two-wheelers have doubled year-on-year."
Regarding Jiana Energy, its composite sodium iron phosphate has passed certification by leading downstream battery manufacturers, holding nearly 70% market share in 2025. It also has相应专利布局 for electrode materials and systems required for high-specific-energy sodium-ion batteries. A company representative stated they will provide related materials and technology in cathode materials,负极涂层, and electrolytes according to下游的迅速迭代. The company plans to expand phosphate-based polyanion cathode material capacity from several tens of thousands of tons to several hundred thousand tons in the next 3-5 years to match downstream demand.
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