CHANGAN Automobile, in partnership with global battery leader CATL, has unveiled the world’s first mass-production passenger vehicle powered by sodium-ion batteries, marking a major breakthrough in next-generation electric mobility. The vehicle was revealed at the “CHANGAN SDA Intelligence Milestone Release & Sodium-Ion Battery Global Strategy Launch” event and is scheduled to enter the market by mid-2026.
Under the strategic partnership, CATL will serve as CHANGAN’s exclusive sodium-ion battery supplier, providing its advanced Naxtra sodium-ion batteries across CHANGAN’s entire brand portfolio, including AVATR, Deepal, Qiyuan and UNI. The collaboration signals a significant shift toward a dual-chemistry battery ecosystem, where sodium-ion and lithium-ion technologies operate in tandem to meet diverse consumer and performance requirements.
Highlighting the importance of the development, Gao Huan, CTO of CATL’s China E-car Business, said the arrival of sodium-ion technology represents the start of a new era in battery chemistry, strengthening energy security while accelerating electrification with safe, reliable and high-performance solutions.
Cold-Weather Performance and Safety Break New Ground
CATL’s Naxtra sodium-ion battery delivers an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg, currently the highest benchmark for mass-produced sodium-ion cells. Enabled by an advanced Cell-to-Pack architecture and intelligent battery management system, the technology supports a pure-electric driving range of over 400 km, with future improvements expected to extend ranges to 500–600 km for pure EVs and 300–400 km for range-extended or hybrid vehicles.
The battery demonstrates exceptional resilience in extreme cold conditions, offering nearly three times the discharge power of comparable LFP batteries at –30°C, maintaining over 90 percent capacity retention at –40°C, and delivering stable performance down to –50°C. Safety testing under severe conditions such as crushing, drilling and sawing confirmed smoke-free and fire-free operation, setting new industry safety benchmarks.
Driving Global Electrification
With advantages including abundant raw materials, improved cold-weather performance, and environmentally friendly production and recycling, sodium-ion batteries are positioned as a key enabler of supply-chain diversification and carbon reduction. According to Precedence Research, the global sodium-ion battery market is projected to grow from USD 1.39 billion in 2025 to USD 6.83 billion by 2034, with 2026 expected to be a pivotal year for large-scale adoption.
Supporting ecosystem expansion, CATL plans to deploy more than 3,000 Choco-Swap battery swap stations across 140 cities in China by 2026, including over 600 stations in colder northern regions, ensuring rapid and reliable energy access nationwide.
A Decade of R&D Culminates in Mass Adoption
CATL began sodium-ion battery research in 2016, investing nearly RMB 10 billion and developing close to 300,000 test cells. Backed by a dedicated R&D team of over 300 specialists, including 20 PhDs, the company has transformed sodium-ion technology from laboratory research into a scalable, commercially viable solution.
By combining industrial-scale manufacturing with advanced battery innovation, CATL and CHANGAN are accelerating the transition of sodium-ion batteries into mainstream electric mobility, positioning the technology as a core pillar of the future EV landscape.
