Interesting!
They'll need to substantially improve the energy density if they want to have any chance of competing in mobile application (EVs etc).
Let's see how it unfolds...
...and remember, Li batteries are still improving rapidly, with much work going on to develop solid state configurations etc.
Time will tell, but I reckon "we" are safe for a while yet!
Even with "5000 researchers", that pathway through commercialisation is slow and painful.
...
The energy density of CATL’s sodium-ion battery cell can achieve up to 160Wh/kg,
...
The manufacturer says its newest product ticks all the boxes for modern customer requirements. For starters, the battery reportedly shows a high energy density, of 160 Wh/kg. That is a little short of the 200 Wh/kg achieved by the LFP devices CATL ships for Tesla, but Zeng has already suggested the second generation of Na-ion batteries will reach the 200 Wh/kg mark. Modern NMC-811 devices show energy densities more in the region of 300 Wh/kg
...Lithium-ion batteries boast a higher energy density than sodium-ions, which means a compact lithium-ion will have a longer run time between charges. So far, sodium-ions have demonstrated about half the energy density of lithium, which can reach 285 Wh/kg, he says.
But sodium-ion batteries could give lithium-ions a run for their money in stationary applications like renewable energy storage for homes and the grid or backup power for data centers, where cost is more important than size and energy density. Based on currently available information, Abraham projects the cost of sodium-ion batteries to be about 10–20 percent less than lithium-ion.
