Zeng Yuqun: Developing 6th Generation Sodium-ion Batteries, Sodium-ion Batteries Expected to Replace 30%-40% of the Existing Market

2026-04-16 | Calvin

On April 3, CATL held its 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, with 3,783 shareholders and authorized representatives attending. Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL, hosted the meeting. During the meeting, 17 proposals were reviewed, including the annual report, profit distribution, financing, employee stock ownership, and H-share authorization, followed by an open Q&A session.

In response to a question, Zeng Yuqun stated that the company is currently developing the 6th generation of sodium-ion batteries. Based on different structures and performance characteristics, these batteries can be adapted to various application scenarios. Among them, odd-numbered generations (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) are mainly aimed at the energy storage field, while even-numbered generations (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc.) focus on power battery applications. This year, the company's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation products will be launched. However, due to the need for collaboration with automakers to adapt these applications, the market adoption may be delayed, and therefore, the volume will not be very large this year. Nevertheless, the company will continue to push for mass production in line with its plans for the 1st, 3rd, and 5th generation products aimed at energy storage, and the 2nd, 4th, and 6th generation products focused on power batteries. The company will also adjust its production line investment based on feedback from market applications to achieve better profitability. In the long term, sodium-ion batteries are expected to replace 30%-40% of the existing market. The company has mastered mature cost-reduction paths for sodium-ion batteries, and related cost optimizations and product performance improvements will be gradually realized through continuous technological iteration.

Zeng Yuqun Advocates for Sodium-ion Batteries

Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL, as a pioneer in the global new energy industry, has repeatedly advocated for sodium-ion batteries on important occasions such as Super Technology Days, shareholder meetings, and industry summits. He has been pushing sodium-ion batteries from technological development to large-scale commercialization, demonstrating his strategic vision in diversifying battery technologies. This move helps the industry reduce dependence on lithium resources and create a new development pattern where "sodium and lithium complement each other, and both shine."

He also introduced the "multi-core era" concept, viewing the breakthrough of the sodium-ion system as the key to opening up resource boundaries and promoting the industrialization of new energy across all scenarios. He emphasized that the maturity of sodium-ion technology has accelerated the arrival of the "multi-core era," where customized combinations of different battery technologies can meet diverse market demands.

On November 12, 2025, during a public speech, Zeng Yuqun emphasized the strategic significance of sodium-ion batteries. He said, "The 'Sodium New' sodium-ion battery launched this year effectively reduces dependence on lithium resources, is safer and lower-carbon, and solves the low-temperature performance issue, providing a new path for the popularization of new energy vehicles in high-latitude northern regions."

Previously, Zeng Yuqun had stated that the core value of sodium-ion batteries lies in breaking through resource boundaries. Sodium resources are abundant in the Earth's crust (ranking sixth), are over 1,000 times more abundant than lithium, widely distributed, and inexpensive, which helps reduce reliance on scarce lithium resources and avoid the risk of supply chain "bottlenecks." This gives sodium-ion batteries a natural cost advantage, making them particularly suitable for cost-sensitive applications.

In terms of market positioning, sodium-ion batteries are not intended to completely replace lithium batteries but rather serve as an important complement to diversified technological routes. Zeng Yuqun has said that the initial goal for sodium-ion batteries is to replace 20%-30% of the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP battery) market, with the potential to eventually replace over 50% of the LFP market share as technology matures.

From a technological potential perspective, Zeng Yuqun believes that sodium-ion batteries perform excellently in low-temperature performance, fast charging, and safety, complementing lithium batteries. He views the breakthrough of the sodium-ion system as "opening up resource boundaries" and accelerating the arrival of the "multi-core era." The so-called "multi-core" refers to the customized combination of different battery technologies (such as sodium-lithium hybrid) based on different user needs (e.g., range, cost, fast charging), aiming for demand-driven solutions rather than simply stacking parameters.

For example, CATL's "Xiao Yao" sodium-iron dual-core battery is a sodium-new battery + lithium iron phosphate self-generating negative electrode battery. The Xiao Yao "Sodium-Iron" dual-core battery's main energy zone has an energy retention rate of over 90% at -40°C, with a total energy capacity of 75 kWh, providing a pure electric range of 700 km.

Regarding technological maturity, Zeng Yuqun previously stated that CATL's sodium-ion battery technology, rated on a scale of 1-10, has reached a level of "7." In April 2025, the company launched its new sodium-ion battery brand, "Sodium New," and aims to achieve large-scale production by 2027.

Since 2016, CATL has invested nearly 10 billion yuan in research and development of sodium-ion technology. Over 300 R&D personnel (including more than 20 PhDs) have been involved, producing more than 290,000 test cells, completing over 30,000 material analysis cycles, and overcoming multiple technical challenges. For example, the cathode material requires repeated optimization to balance energy density, safety, and lifespan; the team has conducted over 10,000 electric performance verifications on solvent, sodium salt, and additive ratios, ultimately achieving breakthroughs in key technologies such as multi-ion conductors, composite antifreeze electrolytes, and high-safety electrolytes, laying a solid foundation for the "Lithium-Sodium Dual Star" era.

CATL Sodium-ion Battery Full Scenario Implementation, Power and Energy Storage Dual Effort

As a leader in the global power battery sector, CATL continues to focus on sodium-ion battery technology research and application scenarios. The company has now achieved full deployment of sodium-ion batteries in both power and energy storage core scenarios, with the dual-track collaboration driving progress.

In the energy storage scenario, on April 1, 2025, CATL appeared at an industry exhibition with the theme "Sodium-Lithium Dual Stars Creating Full-Scene Energy Storage Solutions" and showcased its sodium-ion batteries designed specifically for energy storage. This energy storage sodium-ion battery uses a platform design compatible with CATL's existing 587Ah lithium battery, ensuring maximum compatibility between lithium and sodium batteries. The product has a capacity of over 300Ah, energy conversion efficiency of 97%, and a cycle life exceeding 15,000 cycles. Thanks to its core technological advantages, this sodium-ion energy storage product can fully cover large-scale energy storage and AIDC storage scenarios lasting 2 to 8 hours, with commercial deployment planned within the year.

In the power scenario, on April 21, 2025, CATL officially launched its new sodium-ion battery brand, "Sodium New," with an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg. The Sodium New power battery offers a pure electric range of over 200 km on hybrid models and over 500 km on electric vehicles, meeting daily travel needs even in extreme low temperatures. In terms of safety, it has been re-engineered with a "firewall," remaining fire- and explosion-free under multi-directional crushing, needle penetration, electric drill penetration, and cell sawing. Its performance is excellent in low temperatures, with a 90% energy retention rate at -40°C. Charging speed is also fast, with a peak 5C charging rate, and it only takes 10 minutes to charge from 30% to 80% SOC. The battery has a cycle life of over 10,000 cycles.

The Sodium New power battery has already been highly recognized by automotive clients. Several brands under Changan Automobile, such as Avita, will adopt CATL's Sodium New batteries, and deep cooperation with several other automakers is also progressing steadily. CATL will provide platform-based solutions, and the Sodium New battery can be deeply adapted to Changan's multiple brands, including Avita, Deep Blue, Origin, and Gravity, offering flexibility and performance upgrade potential, helping Changan quickly launch multiple sodium-ion battery models by 2026.

In the heavy truck starting scenario, CATL introduced the Sodium New 24V heavy truck start-and-stop integrated battery, which can enable vehicle startup at -40°C with a one-button press, meeting the power supply needs of air conditioning and other household appliances at any time. The battery has a lifespan of over 8 years, with a 61% reduction in usage costs. It can be parked for a year without losing power and can be ready to go with a one-button start.

In the commercial vehicle field, in October 2025, CATL signed a strategic cooperation agreement with JD Group to jointly promote the green and low-carbon, digital transformation of the supply chain. Both parties will also expand cooperation in new-generation products such as sodium-ion batteries and further deepen the electrification of urban distribution vehicles, promoting innovative products for heavy truck battery swapping. With JD's logistics system, CATL's sodium-ion batteries open up possibilities in heavy truck and logistics vehicle applications, particularly in battery swapping scenarios.

Regarding the overseas market, in June 2025, a batch of CATL's automotive sodium-ion power battery packs was successfully exported after passing hazardous goods packaging certification through Fuzhou Customs. This marks the official entry of CATL's sodium-ion batteries into the international automotive market.

In terms of certification, in September 2025, the "Sodium New" battery passed the GB38031-2025 "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries Used in Electric Vehicles" certification, becoming the first sodium-ion battery to meet the new national standard, signaling that it is ready for large-scale vehicle installation.

At the 2025 performance briefing, CATL stated that the market scale of sodium-ion batteries will be determined by the product cycles and sales volumes of clients. As the maturity of the industry chain improves and upstream support becomes more complete, the company is confident in the commercial prospects of the Sodium New battery and is committed to accelerating the application rollout in collaboration with the entire industry chain. If lithium carbonate prices rise further, the application scenarios and market penetration of Sodium New batteries are expected to expand even more.