Today, both production and demand for sodium-ion batteries are highly concentrated in China. This is likely to continue, especially after cuts in tax credits and other financial support for the battery and EV industries in the US. Natron, one of the largest US sodium-battery companies, ceased operations After facing funding problems last year.
We may also see progress in sodium-ion research: Companies and researchers are developing new materials for components, including the electrolyte and electrodes, to make cells more comparable to lower-end lithium-ion cells in terms of energy density, Meng says.
Key Tests for Solid-State Batteries
As we enter the latter half of this decade, many in the battery world are eyeing the big promises and claims about solid-state batteries.
These batteries can pack more energy into a smaller package by eliminating the liquid electrolyte, the material through which ions pass when the battery is charged and discharged. With higher energy density, they can unlock long-range EVs.
Companies have been promising solid-state batteries for years. For example, Toyota once planned to put them in vehicles by 2020. That deadline has been delayed several times, although the company says it is now on track to launch the new cell in the cars in 2027 or 2028.
Historically, battery manufacturers have struggled to produce solid-state batteries on the scale necessary to deliver a commercially relevant supply for EVs. However, there have been advances in manufacturing technologies, and companies may soon actually deliver on their promises, Meng says.
Factorial Energy, a US-based company that makes solid-state batteries, provided cells for a Mercedes test vehicle that drove more than 745 miles on a single charge in real-world testing in September. The company says it plans to bring its technology to market as soon as 2027. QuantumScape, another major solid-state player in the US, is testing its cells with automotive partners and plans to commercially produce its batteries later this decade.
Before seeing actual solid-state batteries, we could see hybrid technologies, often known as semi-solid-state batteries. These typically use materials such as gel electrolytes, which reduce the fluid inside cells without completely removing them. Evelina Stoikou, head of battery technologies and supply chains at energy consultancy BloombergNEF, says many Chinese companies are looking to manufacture semi-solid-state batteries before switching completely to solid-state batteries.
