The energy density of the first generation sodium-ion battery cell in CATL is 160Wh/Kg; Charging at room temperature for 15 minutes, the power can reach more than 80%; In -20℃ low temperature environment, the discharge retention rate is more than 90%; The system integration rate can reach more than 80%; Thermal stability far exceeds the national standard.
On the eve of the Shanghai Auto Show, the sodium-ion battery that has been brewing for many years in the CATL was officially released, and it was announced that the first landing Chery model would be launched, and Chery would jointly launch the battery brand "ENER-Q" in the CATL. The two parties are committed to creating a full-power battery system covering pure electricity, plug-in mixing, and extended range, suitable for the full application scenarios of the C and B terminals, including sodium batteries, M3P, lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium.
In September 2022, Chery spent 10 billion yuan battery project officially launched, when the outside world has speculated that Chery is to build its own battery factory, and now it seems that Chery is likely to jointly develop batteries with CATL, or with the advanced battery technology of CATL, to carry out its own battery production.
Sodium battery mass production is in progress
As early as 2021, CATL took the lead in releasing the first generation of sodium-ion batteries, when the cell energy density reached 160Wh/kg, the highest level in the world. For comparison, the blade battery energy density released by BYD at that time was about 140Wh/kg.
In March 2023, at the CATL 2022 performance presentation meeting, Jiang Li, deputy general manager and secretary of the Board of directors of CATL, said: "The company's sodia-ion battery will achieve industrialization in 2023, and will continue to upgrade product performance." The company has released the first generation of sodium-ion batteries can be applied to a variety of transportation electrification scenarios (including two-wheeled vehicles), especially in high-cold areas with outstanding advantages, and can flexibly adapt to the application needs of the entire scene in the field of energy storage.
At the same time, the company develops AB battery system solutions, mixing and matching sodium ions and lithium ions, which not only makes up for the current energy density of sodium ion batteries, but also gives play to its advantages of high power and low temperature performance, and expands more application scenarios."
The energy density of the first generation sodium-ion battery cell in CATL is 160Wh/Kg; Charging at room temperature for 15 minutes, the power can reach more than 80%; In -20℃ low temperature environment, the discharge retention rate is more than 90%; The system integration rate can reach more than 80%; Thermal stability far exceeds the national standard. The energy density of the next generation of sodium-ion batteries is more than 200Wh/kg.
At the sodium-ion battery industry chain and standard Development Forum on November 29, 2022, Huang Qisen, vice president of CATL Research Institute, said that Ningde Times achieves sodium-lithium mixing through the first AB battery system integration technology, complementary advantages, and improves the energy density of the battery system, so that the application of sodium-ion batteries is expected to expand to 500 km endurance models.
Chery became the first partner
The CATL sodium-ion battery will be the first landing partner Chery, the two sides of the intention to cooperate at the end of last year, the cooperation in the field of battery application should be one of the contents under the framework agreement.
On December 14, 2022, Chery Group and CATL signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement, and Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, and Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Group, personally attended the signing ceremony. According to the agreement, Chery Group and CATL will carry out comprehensive cooperation in the fields of products, business, marketing and commercial information resources. In addition to passenger car battery supply and technical cooperation, the two sides will also carry out joint exploration in public transportation, new energy integration and power replacement business in the fields of buses, logistics vehicles, heavy trucks, electric ships, etc., to promote and lead the high-quality development of the industry.
CATL officials said at the time that the signing marked the official launch of comprehensive strategic cooperation between Chery Group and CATL, making full use of the superior resources of both sides to jointly explore new energy vehicle markets at home and abroad. The conclusion of this cooperation is conducive to enhancing the market competitiveness of both sides, promoting the sustainable development of the new energy industry and the popularization of electric vehicles, and jointly helping the realization of the "dual carbon" goal.
In addition, in December 2022, Ningbo Meishan Free Trade Port Zone Wending Investment Co., LTD., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL, invested in Chery Group, the parent company of Chery Automobile, holding 3.73% shares of Chery Holdings, becoming the seventh largest shareholder of the company.
Since 2023, the price of battery raw materials has fallen rapidly, and now the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate has fallen below 200,000 yuan/ton, and after the price of materials has fallen, the attention of the outside world has also shifted to the new technology of batteries. CATL will officially release a new generation of condensed matter battery and other core products at the Shanghai Auto Show, which is particularly worth looking forward to.
