The Chinese Ministry of Information and IT said earlier this week that it would create standards for sodium-ion cells.
The world’s biggest EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology CATL) has said it will set up a supply chain for sodium-ion batteries in 2023.
The plusses of sodium-ion batteries are that they do not use rare metals, they are 30% cheaper to make than lithium-ion, they have a more stable materials procurement process, they perform well at low temperatures and re-charge faster than lithium-ion.
The minus is that the energy density of sodium-ion is 160 watt-hours per kilogram which is less than li-ion but there are plans to increase it to 200 watt-hours per kg.
There are another 30 battery companies trying to develop sodium-ion batteries.