China’s dominance in chemical refining and production is transforming the auto industry and could see it “command the next big innovation in rechargeable batteries: replacing lithium with sodium,” according to a New York Times report, which said sodium is far cheaper, found all over the world, and that recent breakthroughs mean sodium batteries can now be recharged daily for years and that their energy capacity has increased, while they don’t need minerals such as cobalt or nickel, and can keep their charge when temperatures drop below freezing, unlike lithium batteries.
China’s EV battery giant CATL says it can use sodium cells in a single EV battery pack and that it is now prepared to mass produce these such battery packs, the report said, noting that most of the 20 sodium battery factories planned or being built around the world are in China, and that the most promising initial use for sodium batteries may be for the to enable electricity grids to store renewable power for use after the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing.
Read the full report: The New York Times.
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