note sodium-ion is no longer two or three times the weight of lithium-ion, there is only a +33% penalty

apparently the problem is there is not yet enough volume in production to compete on price, which I thought was the whole point?

> sodium-ion specs have improved to the point that the technology could break into the general EV market. A recent study by Moritz Schütte at Aachen University in Germany and his colleagues found that a sodium-ion battery by the manufacturer Hina rivals Tesla’s lithium-ion batteries on most parameters, although it would still be a third heavier

> But CATL claims its sodium-ion battery has an energy density of 175 watt-hours per kilogram, which can compete with the lithium-iron-phosphate batteries in low-cost models from Tesla and others. And while sodium-ion batteries still haven’t quite beaten lithium batteries on price, that could change as they expand, according to Schütte

> sodium ions generate less heat in electrochemical reactions, reducing fire risk, so less money can be spent on cooling. They also form weaker bonds with the electrolyte, so they don’t slow down as much in the cold

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mekdoonggi an hour ago | parent | next [-]

That's competing against LFP chemistry, so 33% penalty on a chemistry that itself has a penalty versus NMC.

My understanding about sodium though is that the performance in cold and heat is excellent. So even if you pay a penalty for weight, you can drop the thermal management, which saves quite a bit.

For grid storage, this chemistry will be a game changer. For vehicle, I think it has a ways to go before being preferred over LFP, but that's a guess.

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ck2 an hour ago | parent [-]

like LiFePo4, sodium-ion also won't burn

ie. so the fire department doesn't have to spend three days trying to put out a Tesla fire

for long hauls, not stop and go city traffic, the weight penalty doesn't matter as much once the weight is moving

a tractor-trailer could have a huge cell behind the cab or replacement the massive diesel tanks?

	▲	mekdoonggi an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I hadn't considered that aspect. Maybe sodium will see applications for hybrid diesel trains, medium haul trucks.

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jtr1 an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

I do wonder if there will be a convergence between sodium-ion battery architectures and cheaper, renewable-powered desalination. Could industrial seawater mining be competitive as a sodium feedstock source?

	▲	soco an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I just realize we have heaps and heaps of seasalt sludge around desalinization units. Dirty sludge, but salty nevertheless, right there at the fingertips. Maybe some of it could be useful?