CATL and Changan Launch World’s First Sodium-Ion Battery EV, Set for Mid-2026 Debut

On February 5, 2026, Changan Automobile and CATL unveiled their global sodium-ion battery strategy in Yakeshi. The first mass-produced passenger vehicle equipped with CATL’s “Na-Xin” sodium-ion battery made its official debut, having already completed winter calibration, and is expected to launch in the market by mid-year. The battery delivers an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, a range exceeding 400 kilometers, retains over 90% of its capacity at -40°C, and offers high safety performance. Going forward, multiple Changan brands—including Avatr and Deepal—will fully adopt sodium-ion batteries across their lineups. The industrialization of sodium-ion batteries is accelerating, driven by cost pressures from lithium price volatility, breakthroughs in core technologies, large-scale (ten-thousand-ton-level) production of cathode materials, and the maturation of supportive policies and standards. Compared to lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries offer 30–40% lower material costs and rely on domestically secure, abundant raw materials. Their key application scenarios include short- to medium-range mobility, vehicles for extreme cold regions, and energy storage markets. Industry consensus holds that sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries will coexist in a “twin-star symbiosis” rather than a replacement relationship.