Volkswagen-backed Chinese automaker JAC (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile) is rolling out its first mass-produced EV powered by sodium-ion batteries. This battery technology is being hailed as an innovation that will lower the price of rechargeable stationary and mobile devices and reduce the burden of lithium mining for lithium-ion batteries.
Look around the world and get ready for sodium-based batteries to soon be used in everything from portable power plants, electric snowmobiles, motorcycles, and low-cost EVs. The first to jump on this bandwagon was JAC’s Yiwei EV, which became the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle equipped with a sodium-ion power pack. Well, technically speaking, the Yiwei EV is a rebadged Sehol after undergoing a rebranding effort after the car was unveiled in February this year. The photo above shows the EV is his E10X hatchback, but the cars (and battery setup) are virtually the same.
It has pretty good specs for a 4-seater car.based on car news china Reports on the Yiwei (which, interestingly, is the Chinese pronunciation of the English equivalent of “EV”) include HiNa’s NaCR32140 battery with a capacity of 25 kWh, an energy density of 120 Wh/kg, and a range of approximately 157 miles. 3C to 4C charging. Pricing for the Yiwei EV has not been officially disclosed, but early estimates place it at a very affordable RMB 89,900-127,900 (US$12,600-17,900).
With global demand for rechargeable batteries at an all-time high, new battery developments like sodium-ion packs that reduce costs for consumers and damage to the environment are always welcome. Not only are Na+ batteries easy and inexpensive to manufacture, they also have excellent cold/winter weathering performance and can operate at near full capacity in temperatures as low as -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 degrees Celsius). “Sodium-ion batteries will become an important battery type to complement LFP batteries and provide a low-cost solution to promote the adoption of electric vehicles to the masses,” said Xia Shunli, chairman of Yiwei.
Deliveries of the Yiwei EV are scheduled to begin in January 2024.
Photo provided by: JAC