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A new vehicle is the first mass-produced passenger EV with a viable sodium-based alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
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Optimizing electric vehicle batteries has been a key challenge for manufacturers.
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Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletterA Chinese car manufacturer has unveiled the world’s first sodium-ion (Na-ion) electric vehicle (EV), opening the door to safer battery technologies and improved cold-weather performance.
The Changan Nevo A06 has been produced jointly by Changan Automobile and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), the world’s largest battery manufacturer.
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The Nevo A06 is powered by a 45 kilowatt-hour CATL Naxtra battery — the battery giant’s Na-ion product first announced in April 2025.
CATL representatives say the batteries inside the car can complete 248 miles (400 kilometers) on a single charge, with the cells packing an energy density of 175 watt-hours per kilogram.
Because Na-ion batteries can charge faster than lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, the Nevo A06 can also offer consumers an experience closer to that of filling up their vehicle with gasoline, with Changan representatives saying the Nevo A06 can charge to 80% in just 15 minutes.
To put that into perspective, it’s twice as fast as a Tesla Model Y can get to 80% on a 100 kilowatt, per data from the EV charging site Electra.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The Changan Nevo A06 is expected to launch in mid-2026 and is just the first of many Na-ion EVs expected on the market in the immediate future.
For example, BYD, which recently overtook Tesla to become the largest EV manufacturer in the world, began construction on a 30 gigawatt-hour Na-ion battery facility in Xuzhou, China in early 2024.
Na-ion cars are finally hitting the market
Na-ion batteries are an emerging technology that could dramatically lower the cost of battery manufacturing and improve battery safety, scientists say, versus conventional lithium-ion (Li-ion) alternatives.
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Na-ion batteries are made from more widely-available sodium and they are more stable in operation. This makes them less prone to catching fire when damaged — a key safety feature for EVs.
Because Na-ion batteries are also more resistant to extreme temperatures — retaining much of their charge in temperatures well below freezing and far above the habitable range for humans — they offer better year-round EV performance and efficiency.
In its initial announcement for the Naxtra, CATL said the battery could operate at temperatures between -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 degrees Celsius) to 158 degrees F (70 degrees C)), retaining 90% of its charge as usable electricity even at the lowest temperature.
In its announcement, as reported by CarNewsChina, Changan Automobile stated that the Nevo A06 retains three times more discharge capacity at -22 degrees F (-30 degrees C) than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries — a dominant battery technology in EVs and energy storage — at comparable capacities.
To date, Na-ion batteries have suffered from poorer capacity than Li-ion batteries, making them most useful for static use, such as in grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS).
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However, with the introduction of vehicles such as the Changan Nevo A06, these assumptions are being challenged. Once Na-ion batteries are produced at a wider scale, drivers could enjoy EVs with better battery efficiency and that can operate in harsher climates.
This provides more benefits than simply taking cars further in colder climates. Think about the times you've run your car after it has been sitting on the cold driveway for a day or more.
For BESS, this also guarantees that grid storage won't suffer from massive decreases in efficiency during the winter months.
Rory BathgateRory Bathgate is a freelance writer for Live Science and Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. Outside of his work for ITPro, Rory is keenly interested in how the tech world intersects with our fight against climate change. This encompasses a focus on the energy transition, particularly renewable energy generation and grid storage as well as advances in electric vehicles and the rapid growth of the electrification market. In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing and science fiction. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, after completing an MA (Hons) in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. You can contact Rory at [email protected].
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