CATL expects sodium batteries to see widespread adoption across multiple sectors in 2026

In 2026, sodium batteries will be widely deployed in areas such as battery swap, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage, CATL said.This comes amid a surge in lithium battery raw material prices, with battery-grade lithium carbonate prices in China rising over 50 percent in the past three months.(A sodium-ion battery cell showcased by CATL at the April 2023 Shanghai auto show. Image credit: CnEVPost)CATL (HKG: 3750, SHE: 300750), the world's largest power battery manufacturer, anticipates that sodium-ion batteries will gain widespread application across multiple sectors starting next year, amid rapid lithium price increases over recent months.In 2026, sodium batteries will see large-scale adoption in battery swap, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage, CATL said yesterday at a supplier conference in Ningde, Fujian -- its headquarters city, according to a report by local media outlet Cailian.CATL said that sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries are poised to form a new "dual-star" trend. Join us on Telegram or Google News CATL's comments boosted shares of several Chinese sodium battery manufacturers, with Jiangsu Transimage Tech surging by the daily limit of 10 percent in morning trading, though gains later narrowed to about 5 percent.This comes amid a surge in lithium battery raw material prices, with battery-grade lithium carbonate rising over 50 percent in China during the past three months to exceed 110,000 yuan ($15,700) per ton. Lithium carbonate prices in China Battery-grade Industrial-grade Lithium Carbonate Prices in China - Daily Data Date Battery-grade (RMB/ton) Industrial-grade (RMB/ton) 2025-01-01 75,700 75,050 2025-01-02 75,050 72,950 2025-01-03 75,300 72,950 2025-01-06 75,000 72,950 2025-01-07 75,250 73,200 2025-01-08 75,550 73,500 2025-01-09 75,550 73,500 2025-01-10 75,550 73,500 2025-01-13 75,650 73,600 2025-01-14 75,800 73,750 2025-01-15 76,150 74,100 2025-01-16 76,350 74,100 2025-01-17 76,900 74,600 2025-01-20 77,500 75,200 2025-01-21 77,500 75,200 2025-01-22 77,250 75,200 2025-01-23 77,250 75,200 2025-01-26 77,400 75,200 2025-02-05 77,400 75,200 2025-02-06 77,400 75,200 2025-02-07 77,100 74,900 2025-02-08 76,900 74,700 2025-02-10 76,900 74,700 2025-02-11 76,900 74,700 2025-02-12 76,750 74,550 2025-02-13 76,600 74,550 2025-02-14 76,500 74,500 2025-02-17 76,400 74,450 2025-02-18 76,250 74,400 2025-02-19 76,250 74,400 2025-02-20 76,150 74,400 2025-02-21 76,150 74,400 2025-02-24 76,100 74,400 2025-02-25 76,000 74,200 2025-02-26 75,900 74,100 2025-02-27 75,900 74,100 2025-02-28 75,800 74,000 2025-03-03 75,650 73,850 2025-03-04 75,650 73,850 2025-03-05 75,500 73,700 2025-03-06 75,200 73,400 2025-03-07 75,300 73,500 2025-03-10 75,400 73,600 2025-03-11 75,350 73,550 2025-03-12 75,300 73,500 2025-03-13 75,250 73,450 2025-03-14 75,100 73,300 2025-03-17 75,100 73,300 2025-03-18 75,100 73,300 2025-03-19 75,000 73,200 2025-03-20 74,800 73,000 2025-03-21 74,350 72,500 2025-03-24 74,250 72,400 2025-03-25 74,150 72,300 2025-03-26 74,150 72,300 2025-03-27 74,150 72,300 2025-03-28 74,150 72,300 2025-03-31 74,150 72,300 2025-04-01 74,050 72,200 2025-04-02 74,100 72,200 2025-04-03 74,000 72,200 2025-04-07 73,900 72,100 2025-04-08 73,100 71,300 2025-04-09 71,900 70,500 2025-04-10 70,500 69,100 2025-04-11 70,500 69,100 2025-04-14 70,500 69,100 2025-04-15 70,750 69,350 2025-04-16 70,750 69,350 2025-04-17 70,750 69,350 2025-04-18 70,550 69,150 2025-04-21 70,450 69,150 2025-04-22 70,150 69,050 2025-04-23 69,600 68,100 2025-04-24 69,600 68,100 2025-04-25 69,600 68,100 2025-04-27 69,600 68,100 2025-04-28 68,800 67,300 2025-04-29 68,700 67,000 2025-04-30 67,700 66,000 2025-05-06 66,600 64,900 2025-05-07 66,200 64,500 2025-05-08 65,700 64,000 2025-05-09 65,250 63,550 2025-05-12 65,250 63,550 2025-05-13 65,050 63,550 2025-05-14 64,950 63,550 2025-05-15 64,950 63,550 2025-05-16 64,650 63,250 2025-05-19 63,850 62,450 2025-05-20 63,000 60,850 2025-05-21 63,000 60,850 2025-05-22 63,000 60,850 2025-05-23 62,650 60,850 2025-05-26 61,750 60,350 2025-05-27 62,000 60,350 2025-05-28 62,000 60,350 2025-05-29 61,000 59,350 2025-05-30 61,000 59,350 2025-06-03 60,800 59,150 2025-06-04 60,800 59,150 2025-06-05 60,800 59,150 2025-06-06 60,800 59,150 2025-06-09 60,800 59,150 2025-06-10 60,800 59,150 2025-06-11 60,900 59,250 2025-06-12 60,900 59,250 2025-06-13 60,700 59,050 2025-06-16 60,450 58,800 2025-06-17 60,350 58,800 2025-06-18 60,350 58,800 2025-06-19 60,200 58,700 2025-06-20 60,000 58,600 2025-06-23 59,900 58,500 2025-06-24 60,000 58,600 2025-06-25 60,200 58,800 2025-06-26 60,700 59,300 2025-06-27 61,400 60,000 2025-06-30 61,400 60,000 2025-07-01 61,400 60,000 2025-07-02 61,800 60,400 2025-07-03 62,300 60,900 2025-07-04 62,300 60,900 2025-07-07 62,300 60,900 2025-07-08 62,500 61,250 2025-07-09 62,800 61,750 2025-07-10 63,000 61,950 2025-07-11 63,000 61,950 2025-07-14 63,700 62,650 2025-07-15 64,500 63,450 2025-07-16 64,500 63,450 2025-07-17 65,000 63,950 2025-07-18 66,000 64,950 2025-07-21 69,000 67,950 2025-07-22 71,000 69,950 2025-07-23 70,650 69,600 2025-07-24 75,000 73,950 2025-07-25 77,000 75,950 2025-07-28 75,000 73,950 2025-07-29 72,000 70,950 2025-07-30 72,000 70,950 2025-07-31 69,000 67,950 2025-08-01 69,000 67,950 2025-08-04 69,000 67,950 2025-08-05 68,000 66,950 2025-08-06 68,000 66,950 2025-08-07 68,000 66,950 2025-08-08 70,000 68,950 2025-08-11 78,000 76,950 2025-08-12 80,000 78,950 2025-08-13 82,000 80,950 2025-08-14 83,000 81,950 2025-08-15 83,000 81,950 2025-08-18 86,500 85,450 2025-08-19 86,500 85,450 2025-08-20 83,000 81,950 2025-08-21 82,000 80,950 2025-08-22 80,500 79,450 2025-08-25 79,500 78,450 2025-08-26 79,500 78,450 2025-08-27 79,500 78,450 2025-08-28 77,500 76,450 2025-08-29 77,250 76,200 2025-09-01 77,000 75,850 2025-09-02 75,250 74,250 2025-09-03 74,000 71,850 2025-09-04 74,000 71,850 2025-09-05 74,000 71,850 2025-09-06 74,000 71,850 2025-09-07 73,500 71,850 2025-09-08 74,000 71,850 2025-09-09 73,500 71,850 2025-09-10 71,500 69,850 2025-09-11 71,500 69,850 2025-09-12 71,500 69,850 2025-09-15 72,000 70,350 2025-09-16 73,000 71,350 2025-09-17 73,250 71,600 2025-09-18 73,250 71,600 2025-09-19 73,250 71,600 2025-09-22 73,250 71,600 2025-09-23 73,250 71,600 2025-09-24 73,250 71,600 2025-09-25 73,750 72,100 2025-09-26 73,750 72,100 2025-09-28 73,750 72,100 2025-09-29 73,250 71,750 2025-09-30 73,250 71,750 2025-10-09 73,250 71,750 2025-10-10 73,250 71,750 2025-10-11 73,250 71,750 2025-10-13 73,250 71,750 2025-10-14 73,250 71,750 2025-10-15 73,150 71,750 2025-10-16 73,750 72,250 2025-10-17 75,750 74,400 2025-10-20 76,250 74,650 2025-10-21 76,250 74,650 2025-10-22 76,100 74,650 2025-10-23 77,800 76,350 2025-10-24 79,100 77,650 2025-10-27 80,800 79,350 2025-10-28 81,900 80,450 2025-10-29 82,100 80,650 2025-10-30 83,300 81,850 2025-10-31 82,100 80,650 2025-11-03 81,650 80,300 2025-11-04 79,050 77,650 2025-11-05 78,550 77,150 2025-11-06 79,250 77,850 2025-11-07 80,850 79,450 2025-11-10 84,900 83,450 2025-11-11 86,250 84,950 2025-11-12 86,050 84,750 2025-11-13 87,750 86,450 2025-11-14 86,750 85,450 2025-11-17 90,350 89,050 2025-11-18 94,050 92,750 2025-11-19 97,550 96,250 2025-11-20 99,250 97,750 2025-11-21 92,450 90,950 2025-11-24 90,550 89,050 2025-11-25 92,400 90,950 2025-11-26 94,700 93,250 2025-11-27 94,200 92,750 2025-11-28 93,600 92,150 2025-12-01 94,600 93,150 2025-12-02 93,700 92,250 2025-12-03 92,400 90,950 2025-12-04 91,000 89,550 2025-12-05 90,900 89,450 2025-12-08 91,200 89,750 2025-12-09 91,300 89,850 2025-12-10 92,200 90,750 2025-12-11 94,600 93,150 2025-12-12 94,800 93,350 2025-12-15 96,500 95,050 2025-12-16 97,800 96,350 2025-12-17 102,100 100,900 2025-12-18 102,500 101,050 2025-12-19 105,300 103,850 2025-12-22 108,700 106,850 2025-12-23 112,150 110,000 2025-12-24 116,250 113,250 2025-12-25 116,100 113,250 2025-12-26 121,400 118,350 The sharp rise in raw material costs has prompted some lithium iron phosphate (LFP) manufacturers, including Hunan Yuneng, to announce production halts under the guise of equipment maintenance recently, as downstream customers refuse to absorb the cost hikes.Earlier this month, Shanghai Securities News reported that multiple LFP manufacturers have requested price increases, with one company planning to raise processing fees for its entire LFP product line by RMB 3,000 per ton starting January 1, 2026.In the sodium battery sector, CATL launched its first-generation sodium-ion battery amid soaring lithium carbonate prices in July 2021, bringing this novel battery technology into the spotlight.As lithium prices have plummeted over the past few years, the appeal of sodium-ion batteries has significantly diminished, and they have been mentioned less frequently.In April this year, CATL unveiled its sodium-ion battery brand, Naxtra, at its Tech Day event, beginning to explore lithium battery replacements under this new brand.CATL said that Naxtra's passenger vehicle battery achieves an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg, ranking first globally among sodium-ion batteries and matching LFP batteries.CATL said Naxtra battery packs deliver a range of up to 500 kilometers and exceed 10,000 cycles, significantly reducing maintenance costs. Eve Energy breaks ground on sodium battery headquarters and robotics center Eve Energy will invest about RMB 1 billion ($140 million) in this sodium-ion battery project, with an annual production capacity planned at 2 GWh. ($1 = RMB 7.0082)