Sodium-Ion Battery Vs. Lithium-Ion Battery: Which One is Better?
While lithium-ion batteries dominate the electric vehicle market, there are continuing concerns about shortages of raw materials, costs, and extraction and mining practices. Lithium production is expensive and it’s not particularly eco-friendly. In comparison, sodium carbonate is abundant—the sixth most present element on the planet and more than 1,000 times more abundant than lithium.
So, sodium has some significant advantages when it comes to availability and cost, but there are some key hurdles for adoption in EVs. Right now, it appears that sodium-ion batteries show the most promise for energy storage systems (ESS) rather than EVs.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Lithium-Ion Batteries | Sodium-Ion Batteries | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Materials | Rare (0.0017% of the Earth's crust)1 | Abundant (2.6% of Earth's crust)2 |
| Environmental Impact | Higher impact
|
Lower impact
|
| Material Costs | Battery-grade lithium carbonate costs range from $10,000 - $11,000 per metric ton3 | Battery-grade sodium carbonate costs range from $600 - $650 per metric ton4 |
| Production Costs | $70 kWh5 | $50 kWh5 |
| Energy Density | Higher – 100-300 Wh/kg6 | Lower - 100-160 Wh/kg6 |
| Charging | Slower charging times | Faster charging times |
| Cycle Life | 8,000-10,000 cycles7 | 5,000 cycles7 |
| Safety |
|
|
| Weight | Higher energy density means lighter batteries for EV use | Lower energy density means heavier batteries for EV use |
| Material Transportation |
|
|
As you can see, sodium-ion cells produced at scale have clear advantages, especially when you consider the cost and availability of raw materials and the environmental impact. However, energy density is preventing sodium-ion batteries from being widely adopted in electric vehicles. Lower energy density means you need larger cells, which adds significant weight and takes up more space.
Geopolitical Impact
When comparing the two, you have to take into account geopolitics. China is the world’s leading producer of lithium-ion batteries, with giants like CATL accounting for huge market shares. The main supplier of sodium carbonate, however, is the US. The desire for energy independence and reduced reliance on China could significantly impact the future of sodium as a battery chemistry.
Challenges and Market Potential
Currently, sodium-ion has a market share of around 5%, expected to grow to 30% by 2030, but mainly in energy storage use cases. One of the biggest challenges is pure physics: the mass of sodium is three times greater than that of lithium, reducing the gravimetric energy density.
However, by 2026, it is forecast that 70% of sodium-ion batteries will be used for energy storage to support electrical grids. Just 18% will be in use for electric vehicles, mostly for small transport such as scooters.
Which Technology Is Better?
Both have their pros and cons and we’re likely to see diverging use cases. Generally, sodium-ion is seen as complementary rather than a complete replacement. Looking ahead, it appears lithium-ion will remain the preferred choice for performance EVs, while sodium-ion will be preferred for energy storage—where weight and density are less of a concern.
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