BYD Auto Company Ltd stopped producing internal-combustion engine vehicles in March 2022, in favor of electric battery ones. It now sells these under four basic and high-end vehicle brands, and is expanding into a number of western countries. It has commenced building its first sodium-ion battery factory in China, heralding a new energy storage direction.
Why the Need for a BYD Sodium-Ion Battery Factory Now?
Tesla’s Musk reputedly mocked BYD’s products in 2011, while chatting with Bloomberg. In fact, he disparaged them to the point of suggesting the Chinese company might implode, according to CNN. But BYD has just sent a shot across Tesla’s bows, by becoming the top electric vehicle maker worldwide in quarter four, 2023.
Now suddenly, BYD has become the company to beat, with many in the industry asking how they did it. Perhaps Musk was unaware that BYD began manufacturing lithium-ion batteries in 1996, almost three decades before it announced construction of its first sodium-ion battery factory.
The BYD blade-shaped lithium-ion battery pack in our image, hints at BYD’s future direction, with cell and pack-level energy density exceeding even company expectations. Sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries are quite similar, except for their active metal. On January 5, 2024 BYD hinted at sodium as a future choice.
BYD’s Battery Plant Signals a New Sodium Direction
On January 5, 2024, Cnevpost confirmed that BYD had commenced building a sodium-ion battery factory in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The estimated price tag is 1.4 billion US dollars, and the planned annual capacity 30 gigawatt hours.
The new sodium-ion battery assembly plant is a joint venture between BYD and Huaihai Holding Group. The latter is a strong proponent of sodium-ion, and has interests in small vehicles, electric vehicles, parts and components, and financial services generally.
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