Apart from lithium: sodium may be the new limit for the electric car. At the very least, this seems to be the path taken by China, with 80% of the factories scheduled to be built on its soil, where the next front of the industry will take shape. The first such battery-powered car has already been launched: it’s called the Sehol E10X, it has a range of 252 kilometers and is the result of a collaboration between Chinese Jac and German Volkswagen.
lower prices
Replacing lithium with sodium in batteries means working with a much cheaper and much more abundant component. As reported by the Times, in the past year and a half, the Asian giant has made huge strides towards the realization of this product: for next week on the occasion of the Shanghai auto show, the announcement of a possible first cooperation with car manufacturers for the production of subcompact cars equipped with this new battery.
In the heart of the country, precisely in Changsha, the “Silicon Valley of the East” rises, with thousands of graduates from nearby Central South University making rapid strides in technology. Research into the use of sodium in batteries began in the US-led 1970s, but has gained strong momentum over the past five years, thanks to Beijing’s investment, which has allowed China to take the lead unequivocally. If the manufacture and refining of lithium batteries, which fueled the rise of many of the most used electronic devices, has always been in the hands of the Chinese, the country does not want to lag behind in the next step in this area. The new target is the complete replacement of lithium, although chemically very similar, in favor of sodium, which has a price that does not exceed 2% of its former cost.
Advantages
According to the Times, new research confirms that new sodium batteries equate to the main strategic advantages of lithium batteries, namely large energy capacity and the possibility of daily recharging for years. In addition, it was emphasized that unlike existing batteries, sodium batteries can almost completely maintain their charge even at temperatures well below zero. The top management, engineers and chemists of Chinese giant Catl (Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd), the world’s largest battery manufacturer, explained how their engineers and chemists managed to make sodium and lithium batteries similar enough to produce new batteries. same equipment used for the previous ones. Additionally, the company has reportedly found a way to combine both cells in a single car battery, thus linking sodium’s low cost and weather resistance with the wide variety of lithium batteries available on the market.
The progress of work in this sector has prompted the country to design and build a large number of production centers: out of 20 sodium battery factories worldwide, exactly 16 will be built on Chinese soil. Within two years, the number of construction sites in China could increase further, increasing the Asian giant’s control over sodium battery production to 95%, effectively establishing Beijing’s monopoly on the global market, according to consulting firm Benchmark Minerals. There is great anticipation for the auto show scheduled to be held in Shanghai next week. The first announcements could come of plans signed by major battery and car manufacturers to manufacture and market the first Chinese cars equipped with the new battery. a mixed battery consisting of both cells.
not just cars
Beyond the automotive market, the most promising use of new sodium batteries is for power grids. In fact, one problem new generation batteries have compared to their predecessors is size, sodium batteries have to be larger than lithium batteries to maintain the same charge. However, if this is a problem that requires a solution for the automotive market where interior space is limited, it also does not affect the electrical sector. Batteries for the electricity market in China are constantly growing, think about it during the week that Tesla said it would open a factory in Shanghai to manufacture lithium batteries for power suppliers.
Some state-owned power companies, such as the Three Gorges Corporation, are already starting to test new batteries in solar panels and their own hydroelectric power stations. Frank Haugwitz, a consultant specializing in the solar industry, said some provinces, mostly in western China, are calling for new renewable power plants under construction to be equipped with batteries that “can store 10 to 20 percent of the electricity they produce.” in China. Such a demand can be met when electricity is cheap, that is, when the sun hits the panels, or with a van-sized lithium battery placed in a car charging station that charges automatically overnight. Some scientists are experimenting with whether a sodium battery can achieve the same result.
looking for sodium
One of the biggest challenges in this solo run of the Asian giant is the question of where to find the sodium. As the Times reported, more than 90% of the world’s discovered soda ash reserves are located in the United States. Specifically, the world’s largest deposit of this salt is in the Wyoming desert, which was formed more than 50 million years ago. China has minimal reserves, which are weakly coupled with its reluctance to rely on US imports. Currently, the country has reverted to the production of synthetic sodium carbonate made at national coal-fired chemical factories, a highly polluting solution that is harmful to the waters of rivers located near the processing plants. “Other questions are about the actual resistance of sodium batteries outdoors,” said David Fishman, energy industry consultant for Lantau Group. In conjunction with the desire to reduce production costs, the switch to sodium will become necessary. As the new frontier approaches, China is poised to play a leading role. “The country is at the forefront of leading research in this area,” Fishman said.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.