"BYD also claims to have addressed the well-known issue of lithium iron phosphate cells losing performance in cold temperatures. After the cells were stored for 24 hours at –30 degrees Celsius and therefore completely frozen, charging from 20 to 97 per cent reportedly took just twelve minutes."
As the US sabotages the globe's fossil fuel infrastructure at the behest of Israel, China continues to build the future that will replace it. One by one, the naysayers' objections to EVs melt away. Can't do cold climates, they said - fixed. Can't cope with long journeys, they said - fixed.
As Napoleon once famously observed, 'never interrupt your enemy while they're making a mistake'. China must be thinking that, as the US helps hand it total dominance of the 21st century energy infrastructure.
10–97% in nine minutes: BYD presents second generation of Blade Battery
This takes a real hit out of the new sodium batteries that CATL are bringing online right now.
So cool that we have two batteries that basically fit all the needed requirements for most applications. Cheap, safe, made from abundant materials, fast charging, long lasting, recyclable, work in the cold.
I get they are not the complete most energy dense batteries you would want to use in your phone or a super high end car where you can brag about having the longest range on the market.
But for renewables and grid storage, for cars for everyday driving or even exceptional once in a year road trips. The problem has been solved with two difference battery techs, it's amazing.
For solar and wind you need to store energy when it's not sunny or windy. You don't care much about energy density for a stationary battery bank. Solar is already the cheapest way the generate energy even when you include the cost of batteries, sodium batteries just make that even cheaper. That's huge massive improvement for the energy grid. And that saves lithium for where you need higher energy density.
Solar filling up large sodium batteries, sodium batteries filling up the lithium batteries in you phone and car. That's the future.
This sodium ion batteries are going to be in cars too.
Maybe eventually, but at the moment EVs are under tech pricing rules where there's early adopter pricing. New EVs are expensive because some people are willing to pay a premium to have the latest and greatest tech. While that's still happening, those people probably aren't going to opt for a sodium battery that won't have as much range. And for those wanting a cheaper EV and don't need as much range, they can save a lot more money by simply buying a used EVs.
EV batteries last a remarkably long time, most EVs made 15 years ago are still running on their original battery. I suppose those batteries will eventually start failing and so there will be a market for sodium batteries to replace the old lithium batteries. A new sodium battery would only need to provide the same range as an old lithium battery for that market.
So I guess yes, they will be used in cars. Replacement batteries at first, but my guess it will be longer before they're an option in new EVs.