CATL, Changan unveil sodium-ion EV

CATL and Changan did not wait for this week’s China International Battery Fair in Shenzhen to announce their sodium-ion car. The two companies said on February 5 that they had unveiled what they called the world’s first mass-production passenger vehicle equipped with sodium-ion batteries at a Changan event in Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia, with a market launch planned for mid-2026. CATL said it would supply its Naxtra sodium-ion batteries for the program and across Changan’s brand portfolio. Engineer Live reported on May 14 that the project had become a focal point at CIBF 2026 as battery makers used the Shenzhen show to present next-generation chemistries and manufacturing plans. The fair’s official site says CIBF 2026 is being held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center from May 13 to May 15. (catl.com) ### If the car was announced in February, what is new this week? CIBF 2026 opened in Shenzhen on May 13 with more than 3,000 exhibitors, according to the event organizer, putting CATL’s sodium-ion program in front of a global battery-industry audience. Engineer Live’s May 14 report framed the Changan-CATL vehicle as evidence that sodium-ion batteries were moving from prototype work into commercial deployment. (engineerlive.com) The February announcement remains the primary source for the vehicle itself. CATL said then that the car would be the first mass-production passenger vehicle using sodium-ion batteries and that it was scheduled to reach the market by mid-2026. ### Which car is it, exactly? CATL’s English-language release did not identify the model name in the excerpt available online. (prnewswire.com) The company described it as a Changan passenger vehicle and said CATL would act as Changan’s exclusive strategic sodium-ion battery partner. Secondary trade publications have identified the vehicle as the Changan Nevo A06, but that model name was not visible in the CATL material reviewed for this article. (catl.com) Because the primary company release available here does not name the car, the safer verified description is a mass-production Changan passenger vehicle using CATL sodium-ion batteries. ### What did CATL say the sodium-ion battery can do? CATL said on April 21, 2025 that its Naxtra passenger EV battery had entered mass-producible form with an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, a claimed range of 500 kilometers and more than 10,000 cycles. In the February 5 vehicle announcement, CATL said the Changan program’s battery pack could deliver a pure-electric range exceeding 400 km. (fuelsandlubes.com) The same CATL materials said the battery retained more than 90% of usable power at minus 40 degrees Celsius and could operate across a range down to minus 50 degrees Celsius. CATL also said abuse tests including crushing, drilling and sawing produced no smoke or fire. ### Why are companies pursuing sodium-ion now? CATL said sodium-ion batteries use more abundant raw materials and can reduce dependence on lithium resources. (catl.com) Engineer Live said the chemistry is drawing attention for low-temperature performance, supply-chain diversification and safety characteristics. Gao Huan, CTO of CATL’s China e-car business, said in the February announcement that “the arrival of sodium-ion technology marks the beginning of a dual-chemistry era” and said CATL would work with Changan to bring the technology to market. (catl.com) That assessment was CATL’s characterization, not an independent industry verdict. ### How far along is commercialization beyond this one car? (catl.com) CATL said in April 2025 that Naxtra was the world’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery and that the product line included both a passenger EV battery and a 24V heavy-duty truck start-stop battery. The company’s February update said 2026 would be an important year for bringing the chemistry to more vehicles and wider markets. (catl.com) CIBF 2026 ends on May 15 in Shenzhen, according to the fair organizer, and CATL has said the Changan sodium-ion passenger vehicle is set to reach the market by mid-2026. Those two dates are the clearest next milestones now on the calendar. (cibf.org.cn) (catl.com)