CHANGAN and CATL announce the world's first mass-produced passenger EV with a Sodium-Ion battery

9 February 2026, 09:51:57

CHANGAN Automobile, together with battery giant CATL, has unveiled the world's first mass‑production passenger vehicle powered by sodium‑ion batteries, marking a pivotal moment in the global transition to next‑generation energy storage. The announcement was made during the "CHANGAN SDA Intelligence Milestone Release & Sodium‑Ion Battery Global Strategy Launch," where the company confirmed that the new vehicle will reach the market by mid‑2026.

As CHANGAN's exclusive strategic partner for sodium‑ion technology, CATL will supply its Naxtra sodium‑ion batteries across the automaker’s full brand lineup, including AVATR, Deepal, Qiyuan and UNI. The collaboration signals the beginning of a dual‑chemistry era in which sodium‑ion and lithium‑ion batteries coexist to meet diverse performance, cost and environmental requirements. CATL CTO Gao Huan emphasized that the shift reflects CHANGAN's long‑term commitment to energy security and technological leadership, noting that the company is once again taking the lead in adopting transformative battery solutions.

CATL's Naxtra sodium‑ion battery sets a new benchmark for mass production with an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg and a Cell‑to‑Pack architecture that enables pure‑electric driving ranges exceeding 400 kilometers. As the supply chain matures, projected ranges are expected to reach 500 to 600 kilometers for fully electric models and 300 to 400 kmfor range‑extended or hybrid vehicles, covering more than half of the range needs in today’s new‑energy vehicle market.

One of the technology’s most significant advantages is its exceptional cold‑weather performance. The battery delivers nearly triple the discharge power of comparable LFP batteries at –30 °C, retains more than 90 percent of its capacity at –40 °C and continues to operate at temperatures as low as –50 °C. Safety tests involving crushing, drilling and sawing showed that the battery remained free of smoke and fire while continuing to supply power, setting a new standard for reliability under extreme conditions.

Sodium‑ion batteries also offer strategic benefits for global electrification. Their raw materials are abundant and widely distributed, reducing dependence on constrained lithium supply chains. They perform better in cold climates and support more environmentally friendly production and recycling processes. Market forecasts from Precedence Research predict that the global sodium‑ion battery sector will grow from USD 1.39 billion in 2025 to USD 6.83 billion by 2034, with 2026 expected to be a breakthrough year for widespread adoption.

To support this expansion, CATL is designing its sodium‑ion systems for broad compatibility across multiple vehicle platforms. The company also plans to accelerate infrastructure deployment, aiming to open more than 3,000 Choco‑Swap battery‑swap stations across 140 Chinese cities by 2026, including over 600 in the colder northern regions where sodium‑ion technology offers clear advantages.

CATL's sodium‑ion program began in 2016 and has since grown into a decade‑long research effort involving nearly 300,000 test cells, close to 10 billion RMB in investment and a team of more than 300 researchers, including 20 PhDs. The result is a technology that has moved beyond laboratory demonstrations to become a viable, scalable solution for mass‑market electric vehicles.

With CHANGAN preparing to bring the first sodium‑ion passenger vehicle to consumers and CATL ready to supply the technology at industrial scale, the partnership marks a decisive step toward diversifying the global battery landscape and accelerating the shift to cleaner, more resilient electric mobility.

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