Chinese company CATL, the world leader in battery manufacturing, has announced that sodium and solid-state technologies for electric cars will not reach the mass market in less than three to five years. This means that drivers hoping for greater range and ultra-fast charging will need to be patient. The news comes at a time when demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, but promises of an energy revolution seem to be postponed once again.
The technical development holding back the energy revolution 🔋
Sodium batteries promise to reduce costs by using an abundant material, but their energy density is still lower than lithium batteries. On the other hand, solid-state batteries offer greater safety and fast charging, but the challenges of large-scale manufacturing and the stability of solid electrolytes are significant obstacles. CATL, which controls about 37% of the global market, indicates that the industrial maturity of both technologies requires solving durability and production line issues before they can be seen in street cars.
The endless wait: sodium and solid-state remain in the lab ⏳
While CATL asks for patience, one imagines engineers sweating in their labs trying to keep a sodium battery from dying at a red light. And solid-state batteries, so promised since 2017, remain the industry's eternal almost-here. For the average driver, this means continuing to charge the car while having a coffee, or two, or three. The good news is that by the time they arrive, we may have already learned to teleport.