Revolution in Batteries: Sodium-ion Batteries Show Resilience Down to -40 Degrees

A long-awaited technological breakthrough has occurred in the electric vehicle industry. FAW Jiefang, in collaboration with HiNa Battery, announced the successful completion of large-scale tests of a new generation of sodium-ion batteries. This technology is expected to solve one of the industry's biggest pain points — the loss of battery capacity and slow charging in cold climates. This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

A FAW Jiefang J6P heavy-duty electric tractor was used during the testing process. This truck is equipped with a massive sodium-ion battery with a capacity of 339 kWh. Over seven months of testing, the vehicle covered more than 15,000 kilometers, proving its reliability in various complex operational scenarios.

Extreme Cold and Fast Charging

The most impressive feature of the new battery is its resistance to low temperatures. According to ixbt.com, the battery retained more than 90 percent of its useful capacity even when the air temperature dropped to -40 °C. This indicator is several times superior to traditional lithium-ion batteries, enabling the efficient use of electric trucks even in northern regions.

In the logistics sector, time is the most valuable resource. The new sodium-ion technology fully meets this demand: despite the massive capacity of 339 kWh, it takes only 20-25 minutes to fully charge the battery. This allows the truck to be ready for another long journey during a driver's short break.

Long-term Durability and Resource

The battery's service life also amazed industry experts. Laboratory research showed that the battery can withstand more than 8,000 charging cycles. This is significantly higher than current industry standards. Such durability will be a crucial factor in reducing operational costs for trucking companies.

This technology also has great potential in the conditions of Uzbekistan. Considering that some regions of our country experience sharp temperature drops in winter and high heat in summer, sodium-ion batteries resistant to external influences could boost the development of electric transport. Due to a cheaper raw material base, such batteries will also help lower the price of electric vehicles in the future.

FAW Jiefang is currently working on implementing this technology into serial production and wide application in the commercial transport market. If sodium-ion batteries become popular, it will reduce dependence on lithium not only in trucks but also in the light electric vehicle segment.