The Chinese company BAIC has introduced a sodium-ion battery for electric cars that can be fully charged in just eleven minutes.
BAIC has developed a new sodium-ion battery. The Beijing group’s research department completed the development of a universal battery technology system. According to information from IT-Home, the company classifies the memory as ready for mass production.
The battery should be able to be fully charged in just eleven minutes with the appropriate high-voltage power supply. This speed enables refueling stops that are similar in time to conventional combustion engines with petrol or diesel. BAIC promises a high level of everyday suitability for long-distance use thanks to the short charging time.
Sodium-ion battery: BAIC uses modular technology
The technological platform serves as the basis for various types of batteries. In addition to sodium cells, the system also supports classic lithium-ion variants and solid-state batteries. With this modular approach, BAIC responds to different requirements in the vehicle market.
The company’s engineers completed the processes for manufacturing and testing each cell. BAIC is currently implementing the entire production process industrially. The group secured the rights to this technology through 20 registered patents.
Subsidiary brand Stelato shows how the system works in practice. The company developed the S9 vehicle model together with Huawei. While BAIC supplies the battery technology system, Huawei acts as a partner in the development of the entire vehicle.
Huawei partner in practical testing
The battery pack achieves an energy density of more than 170 watt hours per kilogram. Conventional lithium-ion batteries offer more capacity at 200 to 250 watt hours per kilogram, but the sodium battery compensates for this by saving time. Buyers trade range for the extremely short charging time of eleven minutes.
BAIC delivers the battery as a finished package including charging electronics and casing. This design allows rapid integration into existing vehicle platforms. The company is thus laying the foundation for the broad application of sodium technology in electromobility.
Sodium is an essential component of common table salt and is therefore more readily available than lithium. Manufacturers obtain this raw material easily and cost-effectively. In everyday life, users benefit from technology that works independently of expensive imports of scarce resources. Exactly how long the range of the new battery is is not entirely clear. Comparable sodium batteries like those from CATL can last close to 400 kilometers.
BAIC sodium-ion battery: performance in cold conditions
The new batteries work in a temperature range between minus 40 and plus 60 degrees Celsius. Even when the temperature is minus 20 degrees, the storage should still provide 92 percent of its capacity. The system therefore promises to be a reliable solution for use in wintry regions.
In addition, the cells have a high level of physical security against external influences. The battery can withstand mechanical, electrical or thermal stress without developing fire. The group is thus positioning the system as a safer option compared to classic lithium storage systems.
The progress could accelerate global competition for efficient storage solutions. In this environment, the battery giant CATL and the car company Changan have already presented the first series-ready electric car with this technology. BAIC is now preparing the industrial implementation in order to install its own solution as soon as possible.
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