The First EV With a Lithium-Free Sodium Battery Hits the Road in January
upstart writes:
Sodium-ion batteries have lower density but are cheaper and perform better in cold weather:
JAC Motors, a Volkswagen-backed Chinese automaker, unveiled the first mass-produced EV with a sodium-ion battery through its new Yiwei brand. Although sodium-ion battery tech has a lower density than lithium-ion, its lower costs, simpler and more abundant supplies and superior cold-weather performance could help accelerate mass EV adoption. CarNewsChina reports that the JAC Yiwei EV hatchback deliveries will begin in January.
[...] The new Yiwei EV reportedly uses cylindrical sodium-ion cells from HiNA[sic] Battery. JAC assembles the batteries in the company's modular UE (Unitized Encapsulation) honeycomb structure, similar to CATL's CTP (cell-to-pack) and BYD's Blade. The layout can provide for greater stability and performance.
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