CATL is the biggest battery manufacturer and they appear to be pushing forward with the sodium ion batteries despite only 80-90% (their claims) of the energy density of the lithium ion technology.
It will be a good trade-off because the cost of cobalt, nickel, and I believe lithium have risen 1500% in the past decade so economics is going to be the primary driver for different batteries.
From an environmental standpoint the sodium ion batteries are MUCH better than lithium ion. They are also far safer (fire).
Realistically, most EV drivers will be fine with a cheaper sodium ion battery because almost all EV usage is local commutes so “range” is not really the top priority outside of car magazines and YouTubers.
I think you’re on the right track, not to put down your
comments at all. I see this as a stepping stone to other
batteries which will have better dynamics, longer range
being one of them.
Okay, so we started out with a dirtier batter. In time
we’ll make more discoveries and be amazed by what comes
of it.
We will find a way to get quick charging and long distances
out of these cars.
I’m not just talking pie in the sky. At first we didn’t
think we’d get 300 miles out of a charge.
I do think we’ll be driving half-way or more across this
nation on a charge in time. And I think we’ll pull into
a charger area and fill up in five minutes too.
It has always been amazing what we can do when we put our
minds to it.
I’m not a global change person who thinks ICE cars are
destroying the planet either.
You watch. When we do see ICE cars wane over a period
of time, the chemical dynamics probably won’t change
as much as folks thought they would. It’s all a big
con game.