JAC, the Chinese automaker, introduced last February a test model equipped with sodium-ion batteries, which could be a milestone in the future of electromobility.which could be a milestone in the future of electromobility. Battery manufacturers have long been testing the use of sodium instead of lithium in batteries for electric cars.

Its main advantages are its abundance, that it is non-flammable and that it behaves well at low temperatures. The disadvantages, on the other hand on the other hand, are its lower energy density - the energy stored per volume - which in the case of JAC's test car batteries is one which in the case of the batteries in JAC's test car is 25% lower than that of JAC's 25% lower than that of lithium batteries.

For now, the cost of sodium batteries is higher due to the small volumes manufactured and a still poor supply chain. But the consulting firm BNEF estimates that there could be a good future for this type of battery, as there is room for improvement in energy density, and that it can take advantage of the same infrastructure that is currently used to manufacture lithium batteries, using the same materials and components, so they could be cheaper than lithium batteries.

The sodium-ion batteries used in JAC's test model are manufactured by a small and relatively new Chinese battery manufacturer, HiNa Battery Technologies.

You can see more details here.