Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), world’s battery manufacturing giant, officially unveiled its Tianxing II light commercial vehicle battery series on January 22, 2026. The highlight of the launch is the low-temperature version, which represents the industry’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery.
The 45 kWh sodium-ion battery boasts an energy density of 175Wh/kg and a cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles. It is the world’s first battery to receive certification under the new GB 38031-2025 national standard and is designed to power small and micro vans and light trucks.
Compared to lithium batteries, this battery has exceptional cold-weather performance. In extreme temperatures as low as -40°C, the battery maintains 90% of its usable capacity. Moreover, it allows for immediate charging even when completely frozen at -30°C, eliminating the winter operation challenges faced by commercial vehicles in cold regions.
Sodium is over 1,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium, with extraction costs at merely 1/20 of lithium. This cost advantage is expected to reduce battery costs and improve the economic feasibility of light commercial electric vehicles in the long term.
Beyond the low-temperature version, the Tianxing II series includes three additional variants:
The Fast-Charging Version features high-rate charging technology that powers the battery from 20% to 80% in 18 minutes. For standard 100 kWh electric vehicles, a single fast charge can add approximately 150 kilometers of range.
The Long-Range Version sets a new record for light commercial vehicles with a single-pack capacity of 253 kWh, achieving a maximum range of 800km. This variant is designed primarily for long-distance logistics between cities. When paired with CATL’s Taishan pack architecture, it reduces vehicle weight by approximately 260kg compared to batteries with equivalent capacity, increasing effective payload while reducing energy consumption.
The High-Temperature Fast-Charging Version targets last-mile delivery and self-owned vehicle operations, particularly in southern high-temperature regions. Equipped with a customized liquid cooling thermal management system, it maintains stable fast-charging performance and battery life in high-temperature environments. This version balances high reliability with low operating costs, making it suitable for short-distance, high-frequency light commercial scenarios such as supermarket deliveries and community distribution.
Tianxing is a battery brand for commercial vehicles, launched by CATL in July 2024. While the original Tianxing battery was a lithium-ion type, the newly unveiled Tianxing II utilizes sodium-ion technology.
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