In another step forward for battery technology, Chinese company BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation) has revealed a new sodium-ion battery said to deliver a full charge in just 11 minutes.

Labelled as a cost-effective, safer and more sustainable alternative to the widespread lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric vehicles, sodium-ion batteries deliver super fast-charging ability with BAIC’s development battery capable of fully charging an electric car much quicker than existing options.

According to BAIC’s research division, it has completed development of a sample sodium-ion battery which uses a prismatic cell format and achieves an energy density of 170Wh/kg.

It supports super fast ‘4C’ fast charging – that’s a minimum of 360kW – with a full charge completed in 11 minutes, according to the company. BAIC also stated that the battery can operate over a temperature range of -40°C to 60°C, with energy retention exceeding 92 per cent at -20°C, targeting improved cold-climate usability and improving the driving range of EVs in those areas of the world.

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Above: BAIC’s sodium-ion battery could reach production in its Arcfox T1 EV hatchback

BAIC also claims that safety-related tests were completed, with the battery capable of withstanding an overcharge condition of up to 200 per cent without fire or explosion, and it remained stable when exposed to 200ºC heat.

Compared with lithium-ion batteries already used by millions of EVs, sodium-ion batteries require less raw materials to build as well.  

Sodium-ion batteries are being evaluated by many Chinese battery manufacturers as a solution for cost-sensitive vehicle segments and for customers in low temperature climates. BAIC is also not the first battery manufacturer to develop a sodium-ion battery, with Changan and CATL announcing that a market launch is planned for the world’s first sodium-ion battery-powered EV in mid-2026. They are targeting a range of over 400km from a battery just 45kWh in size. 

Sodium-ion is not the first battery type that BAIC has developed – it also produces both lithium-ion and solid-state batteries as well in its ‘Aurora Battery’ program. BAIC is yet to reveal a timeline for new sodium-ion battery production.