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upstart writes:

Sodium-based batteries could start hitting the market this year, if companies follow through on their plans:

Lithium is currently the ruler of the battery world, a key ingredient in the batteries that power phones, electric vehicles, and even store energy on the electrical grid.

But as concerns about the battery supply chain swell, scientists are looking for ways to cut down on battery technology's most expensive, least readily available ingredients. There are already options that reduce the need for some, like cobalt and nickel, but there's been little recourse for those looking to dethrone lithium.

Over the past several months, though, battery companies and automakers in China have announced forays into a new kind of battery chemistry that replaces lithium with sodium. These new sodium-ion batteries could help push costs down for both stationary storage and electric vehicles, if the technology can meet the high expectations that companies are setting.

[...] Sodium-based batteries are not new, but technical shortcomings have previously kept them from taking on lithium. Sodium-ion batteries traditionally wear out quickly, and they still have a lower energy density than lithium-ion, says Shirley Meng, a battery researcher at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory.

That means in order to store the same amount of energy, a sodium-based battery will need to be bigger and heavier than the equivalent lithium-based one. For EVs, that means a shorter range for a battery the same size.

A heavier, cheaper battery might be preferable in some circumstances, like for the smaller, lower-range EVs common in China. JAC's announced range is comparable to that of the Wuling Hongguang Mini, one of China's most popular EVs, whose long-range version can drive up to 280 km (175 miles) on a single charge.

A somewhat easier market for sodium-ion batteries might be stationary storage installations, like those used to provide backup power for a home or business or on the electrical grid. Some companies, like US-based Natron, are developing the chemistry specifically for stationary applications, where size and weight aren't as critical as they are in a moving car.

[...] But if market conditions have opened the door for lithium alternatives, they could just as easily slam it shut. The fate of sodium-ion batteries will likely be "directly tied to the cost of lithium," says Jay Whitacre, a battery researcher at Carnegie Mellon University and previous founder of a sodium-ion battery company called Aquion.

[...] Sodium could end up in EV batteries in China as early as the end of this year, but the technology probably won't overthrow lithium. Rather, the world of batteries will likely continue to branch out and diversify, with companies developing more battery options for different situations. There are "nooks and crannies" in the battery market, as Whitacre puts it, and soon, sodium-ion might finally find its place.

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