Leading battery maker CATL announced a new brand for its sodium-on batteries, called Naxtra, which it said would go into production in December as the company explores a potential replacement for many EV batteries that use costly and rare materials.

Ahead of the Shanghai auto show, CATL also announced a second generation of its fast-charging battery for electric vehicles (EVs) and a “dual-power” battery designed to increase the reliability of power output.

CATL has the world’s biggest market share for EV batteries, at 38.2 percent, followed by BYD at 16.9 percent in the January-February period, according to South Korea’s SNE Research.

Sodium-ion batteries

The company showcased its latest technologies at an event ahead of the Auto Shanghai, a central platform for China’s hyper-competitive EV industry.

The new sodium-ion batteries, which rely on cheap and abundant sodium, increase energy density and range over their predecessor, CATL said.

The company said the new Naxtra-branded battery is the first time sodium-ion batteries have been launched at mass-production scale, with the potential to replace the more commonly used lithium-ion packs.

The new battery has an energy density of 175 watt-hours per kilogram, nearly equivalent to the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries popular in many EVs and grid energy storage systems, said CATL.

As the technology and supply-chain develop, sodium-ion batteries may have a cost advantage over lithium-ion, said Ouyang Chuying, CATL’s co-president for research and development.

Fast-charging EVs

The company’s second-generation Shenxing fast-charging battery can enable a 520 km driving range on a five-minute charge, charging from 0 to 80 percent in 15 minutes in cold weather, CATL said.

BYD, one of CATL’s main rivals, last month introduced a battery with a 10C charging multiplier that can add 400 km of range to an EV with a five-minute charge, which it said was comparable to the speed of pumping petrol.

Meanwhile the Freevoy Dual-Power battery features two “independent energy zones”, similar to the use of dual engines on a jet, which CATL said can ensure the continuity, stability and safety of power output.