CATL Debuts Mass-Produced Sodium-Ion Battery for Cold-Climate Commercial Vehicles
宁德时代发布面向寒冷环境的商用车量产钠离子电池
宁德时代近日发布了其首款面向轻型商用车的量产钠离子电池，标志着钠离子电池商业化迈出重要一步。该产品于1月22日随全新 Tectrans II 动力电池系列一同亮相，主要面向轻卡、厢式货车和微型卡车等应用场景。Tectrans II 系列中最受关注的是其低温版钠离子电池。宁德时代表示，该电池专为极寒环境设计，在 -30°C 条件下仍可正常充电，在 -40°C 时仍能保持约 90% 的可用容量。该钠离子电池包容量为 45 kWh，主要用于城市物流和短途运输的小型厢式车和微型卡车。除钠离子版本外，Tectrans II 系列还包含多种产品。其中一款低温超充电池可在 -15°C 下实现 30 分钟从 20% 充至 80%；另一款高温超充版本可在 18 分钟内增加 60% 续航，并在 45°C 条件下实现 5,000 次循环寿命。
CATL has unveiled what it claims is the world’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery designed specifically for light commercial vehicles, marking a significant step toward broader adoption of sodium-based energy storage. The launch took place on January 22, as part of CATL’s introduction of its new Tectrans II series of power batteries, which primarily target light trucks, vans, and micro-trucks.
The standout feature of the Tectrans II lineup is its low-temperature sodium-ion variant, engineered to operate reliably in extreme cold environments. According to CATL, the battery can still be charged at temperatures as low as -30°C and retains up to 90 percent of its usable capacity even at -40°C. This performance addresses one of the major pain points for commercial vehicle operators in northern regions, where lithium-ion batteries often suffer significant range and power losses during winter.
The sodium-ion battery pack has a capacity of 45 kWh and is aimed at small vans and micro-trucks used in urban logistics and short-haul transport. CATL emphasized that this launch represents its first major move in the sodium-ion battery sector in 2026, signaling the company’s intent to accelerate commercialization of the technology.
At a supplier conference held in late December in Ningde, Fujian province, CATL stated that sodium-ion batteries are expected to see large-scale adoption this year across multiple applications, including battery swapping, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage systems. The company described sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries as forming a future “dual-star” landscape, with each technology serving different use cases based on cost, resource availability, and performance characteristics.
Beyond the sodium-ion model, the Tectrans II series includes several other variants. One ultra-fast charging version can charge from 20 percent to 80 percent in 30 minutes at -15°C. Another high-temperature ultra-fast charging option can add 60 percent driving range in just 18 minutes and offers a cell life of up to 5,000 cycles at 45°C. For long-haul needs, CATL also introduced a long-range version with battery pack capacity reaching 253 kWh, enabling up to 800 kilometers of range.
In addition, the series supports battery swapping solutions, with modular packs ranging from 42 kWh to 81 kWh. Together, these offerings underscore CATL’s push to diversify battery technologies and tailor solutions for the evolving commercial vehicle market.
