CATL is solving the sodium-ion battery range anxiety problem
CATL is pairing its sodium-ion batteries with its growing battery swap station network. The goal is to get past the technology's main weakness, energy density, hence range anxiety.
Chairman Robin Zeng made the case at a Benchmark Mineral Intelligence event in Shanghai this week. His argument is that sodium-ion packs already cover the daily urban commute. Swap stations would then handle the occasional longer weekend trip, without forcing drivers to wait on a charger.
CATL is building the Choco station network itself and leasing the batteries to customers. Zeng said the company needs to put more of them along highways and in cities. According to him, swap stations currently operate in around 200 Chinese cities, and CATL wants more than 3,000 passenger car stations nationwide by the end of 2026. Its Choco-Swap network stood at 1,020 stations across 45 cities in December 2025, so the target implies roughly a threefold increase in a year, but CATL is usually very adept at rapid rollouts.
Sodium-ion cells have clear selling points, especially for cold weather. They are reaching cost parity with LFP cells and are inherently safer than the lithium-ion technology, as they don't use flammable materials in their electrolyte. They also shield CATL from sharp swings in lithium prices. The weak spot is energy density, which is why range is the sticking point. The cells in the sodium-ion car CATL unveiled with Changan in February reach up to 175 Wh/kg, good for more than 400 km (about 249 miles). CATL also says they keep over 90% of their capacity at -40°C (-40°F).
Swapping the packs gets around the density and range anxiety problems so that it can spearhead adoption and lower the sodium-ion battery manufacturing costs. If a depleted pack can be exchanged in minutes, a low-density battery matters much less, and CATL's energy services arm has already said it plans to roll out Naxtra sodium-ion packs across the swap network starting this year.
Volumes are still small for now, as CATL expects only 10,000 to 20,000 EVs to use its sodium-ion batteries in 2026. The company has also announced a $735 million investment in 40 GWh of sodium-ion capacity, so it clearly expects demand to grow concurrently with its swap station network.
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