CATL Announces Widespread Sodium-Ion Battery Rollout by Late 2026
CATL, the global leader in EV batteries, has announced its sodium-ion batteries will be commercially available across multiple industries by late 2026. This development comes as the firm solidifies its market dominance, holding 38.1% of global EV battery capacity through October 2024—a slight increase from its 37.6% share during the same period in 2023.
Market Leadership and Expansion Plans
BYD follows in second place with 16.9% market share, trailed by LG Energy Solution (9.3%), CALB (4.7%), and Gotion (4.1%), according to SNE Research. To maintain its lead, CATL confirmed at a December 28, 2025 supplier conference that sodium-ion batteries will soon power:
- Battery-swap stations
- Passenger and commercial EVs
- Energy storage systems
Technical Breakthroughs
CATL’s Naxtra sodium-ion batteries, unveiled in April 2024, deliver:
- Energy density: 175 Wh/kg (matching premium LFP batteries)
- Temperature resilience: Operates from -40°C to 70°C
- Range: Over 500 km (310 miles) per charge
- Cold-weather performance: Superior charging and efficiency
Industry-First Certification
The Naxtra batteries became the world’s first sodium-ion units to meet China’s stringent GB 38031-2025 safety standards, mandatory for EVs starting July 2026. This certification underscores their viability as:
- A cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion
- A solution reducing dependence on lithium resources
- A safer option with enhanced thermal stability
CATL emphasized these advancements will shift energy systems from “single-resource dependence” to “energy freedom,” accelerating sustainable transportation.
