Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) said at its supplier conference in Ningde, Fujian province, on December 28, 2025, that it plans to deploy its sodium-ion battery technology at scale across multiple sectors in 2026, according to IT-home. The company described expanded applications in battery swap systems, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage, indicating a significant commercial deployment phase for sodium-ion technology next year.
In April 2025, CATL announced the launch of its sodium-ion battery brand, Naxtra, and stated that large-scale production of sodium-ion cells had begun. These products are designed to operate across a wide temperature range from -40 °C to 70°C. They are offered in both passenger-vehicle power-battery formats and a 24V integrated battery solution for heavy trucks. The product line was introduced as the company’s first commercially oriented series of sodium-ion cells.
Earlier disclosures by CATL have provided additional technical context for its sodium-ion battery roadmap. In September 2025, the company said its next-generation sodium-ion battery supports a pure-electric driving range of more than 500 kilometers in passenger-vehicle applications and is ready for mass production, aligned with a 2026 timeline. CATL stated that the battery achieves an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg and has passed China’s latest national safety standard for electric-vehicle traction batteries, with large-scale supply expected to proceed in line with customer rollout schedules.
The company’s sodium-ion battery products have passed China’s latest national battery standard, GB 38031-2025, for electric vehicle traction batteries, making them the first sodium-ion batteries to achieve this certification. The national standard, scheduled to take effect in mid-2026, sets stringent safety requirements for thermal stability, mechanical impact resistance, and fast-charge cycling performance. Third-party testing showed that CATL’s sodium-ion cells and battery packs met all required safety tests under the new standard.
CATL has also highlighted performance features of its sodium-ion batteries, noting their improved safety profile compared with traditional lithium-ion chemistries and performance advantages in low-temperature conditions, which the company says could address performance limitations in extreme cold regions. Sodium-ion cells have been reported to achieve energy densities that support extended pure-electric driving range in passenger-vehicle applications, while enabling lower carbon emissions and reduced reliance on lithium resources.
The development of sodium-ion technology has progressed alongside broader national energy storage and new energy vehicle strategies in China, with related policies and industrial plans supporting research, certification, and deployment of alternative battery chemistries. CATL’s planned 2026 rollout of sodium-ion batteries aligns with the broader effort to advance battery technologies for diverse applications.
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