CATL to Launch Mass Production of Sodium Ion Batteries in 2026

At the 2026 Equipment Powerhouse Forum on May 30, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) revealed plans to roll out a series of mass-produced sodium-ion battery products this year. Wu Kai, CATL’s chief scientist and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, confirmed that the company has resolved key manufacturing bottlenecks. The new sodium-ion batteries are designed to leverage raw materials that are more abundant and less expensive than those used in conventional lithium-ion chemistries.

According to CATL’s published roadmap, the company intends to deploy these sodium-ion systems across passenger vehicles, commercial fleets, battery-swapping networks and stationary energy-storage applications. At the same time, CATL is advancing its long-term research into high-density lithium-air batteries. The sodium-ion drive follows a landmark 60 GWh supply contract—the largest single order for sodium-ion cells to date. By relying on widely available precursor materials instead of constrained lithium sources, the technology seeks to streamline the supply chain and reduce material costs.

Early sodium-ion products will focus on entry-level electric vehicles and energy-storage installations. CATL is also developing advanced cell architectures aimed at extending driving range; future versions of these batteries are targeting a single-charge range of up to 600 kilometers, positioning sodium-ion as a challenger to lower-tier lithium-iron-phosphate configurations.

In parallel with its sodium-ion programme, CATL is pursuing lithium-air technology. This approach uses metallic lithium as the anode and draws oxygen from the atmosphere at the cathode, eliminating the heavy host compounds inside the cell. During discharge, the reaction produces lithium peroxide, unlocking a substantially higher theoretical energy density than current solid-state or liquid-electrolyte batteries. CATL views lithium-air as a potential long-term successor to conventional lithium-ion systems.

The sodium-ion initiative unfolds against the backdrop of CATL’s continued leadership in mainstream battery markets. Figures from a domestic EV tracker show that CATL installed 29.06 GWh of batteries in April 2026, equating to a 46.6 percent national market share. That volume comprised roughly 19.53 GWh of lithium-iron-phosphate modules and 9.53 GWh of nickel-manganese-cobalt cells. Adding sodium-ion manufacturing creates a parallel production line alongside CATL’s established lithium-based platforms.