China racet ahead with sodium batteries-out that Zeezout becomes the power source for its electric scooter revolution
- Advertisement -
- Yadea is moving forward with a number of two-wheelers with sodium ions driven
- Sodium will play a key role in the wider battery change systems of China
- The country is already insisting on the mass production of technology
The presence of sodium in batteries is nothing new, because the first documented use it dates from the 1960s, when the Ford Motor Company considered using them for very early EVs.
But last year the Chinese automaker Jac (a joint venture with Volkswagen in China) produced the world’s first production of the production of sodium ions in the Hua Xianzi (it translates roughly into ‘Flower Fairy’), which uses a small 25 kWh sodium-ion battery that can travel up to 155 miles.
Although not exactly a worldwide sales success, the technology has found a place between the flowering microcareconomy of China and, perhaps even more important, still, are unbridled demand for diminutive two -wheeled scooters.
In somewhere like Shenzhen, a megacity with a population of around 17.8 million people, the modest scooter is one of the most popular forms of transport, with more than 55 million sold in 2023 alone, and Yadea is one of the most popular brands.
The world leader in electric two-wheelers has so far released three electric scooters driven by sodium ions, according to the BBCWith plans in the pipeline to offer much more.
These battery packages are constructed in the same way as their lithium-ion counterparts, but transfer sodium ions between electrodes during charging and discharging, instead of other rare earth materials.
Currently, lead acid batteries continue to dominate the electric scoot landscape, because the technology is cheap and produced on a massive scale, but the demand for sodium ions is gradually going.
By 2030, 15% of Chinese electric scooters will be driven by them, compared to 0.04% in 2023, according to a analysis Through the starting point research institute established in Shenzhen, which assesses the Chinese battery industry.
Analysis: Sodium-ion achieves much further than transport
Electric two-wheel manufacturer Yadea is also building one of the most robust electric scooter loading networks in China, with plans to install more than 1,000 fast-loading pillars that are specifically designed this year for sodium batteries in Hangzhou, which would enable commuters to find every 2 km (1.2 miles).
It also pushes ahead with a huge battery swap program in Shenzen, with the aim of 20,000 swapping stations this year, with which drivers can replace a best battery in about 30 seconds for a fully charged unit. This number grows to 50,000 by 2027.
At the moment, sodium batteries are still very on the rise, because the price and demand for lithium ion and have fallen since its high post-pandemic of all time.
A relatively low energy density (some Pitch sodium ion batteries Because it is 30% less energy closed than lithium-ion counterparts) has also postponed the most important car players, all of whom are constantly looking for the lightest, most energy-tight options on the market.
But China’s vision for salty batteries goes much further than transport, with the BBC report That it is already on schedule for a mass-based solutions based on sodium storage, which help balance the grid and save surplus energy from renewable sources when they are not used all without compete with the automotive industry and its vorarge appetite for lithium.
Maybe you like it too
- Advertisement -
