Changan to launch first mass-produced sodium-ion battery EV, challenging lithium dominance

On 5 February, a black sedan was speeding down an icy track in northern China at 95 kilometres per hour when its tyre burst, releasing a puff of white into the -32°C air.

This was meant to demonstrate that even the harshest conditions were no barrier to the auto-maker Changan's new line of electric vehicles, which includes the first mass-produced EV with a sodium-ion battery.

Today, most rechargeable batteries are made from lithium ions, but sodium-ion alternatives could make battery tech much cheaper and offer other advantages