SMM learned that BAIC R&D recently announced the successful development of sodium-ion battery prototypes. The first prismatic battery pack using prismatic battery cells achieved an energy density exceeding 170 Wh/kg, placing it in the industry’s top tier. It also supports 4C ultra-fast charging, enabling recharging in 11 minutes. Its temperature-range adaptability and safety performance are outstanding, with stable operation across an ultra-wide range from -40°C to 60°C, energy retention above 92% at -20°C, and no risk of thermal runaway under extreme scenarios. At present, this sodium-ion battery has completed sample finalization, established mass-production processes for prismatic products, and filed 20 patents around core technologies. BAIC has also leveraged this to complete a full technology roadmap covering lithium batteries, solid-state batteries, and sodium-ion batteries, and has mastered a complete set of core sodium-ion battery technologies.

Recently, Washi Power (Guangdong) Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Washi Power") officially completed its first-round financing transaction worth tens of millions of yuan. The achievement of this critical period not only injected strong financial momentum into the company's entire industry chain layout for sodium-ion batteries, but also marked the capital market's dual recognition of Washi Power's technical roadmap, R&D capabilities, and industrialisation implementation capacity, laying a solid foundation for the company to enter a new phase of industrialised and scaled development of sodium-ion batteries. The raised funds will be primarily allocated to deepening core technology R&D, expanding capacity scale, and broadening market channels. Among these, the construction of Washi Power's industrialisation base in Nanjing will serve as a core project to accelerate overall progress, helping the company establish a full-process industrialisation closed loop from core materials to battery modules and seize the critical window period for the scaled implementation of the sodium-ion battery industry.

Yingong Technology's 18650-900mAh fast-charging Yinsu sodium-ion battery cell achieved 5C cyclic fast charging across the full SOC range and supported fast charging above 10C. It required only 5 minutes to complete 80% rapid recharging and offered outstanding low-temperature adaptability.

In 2026, the correction in lithium carbonate prices drove up lithium battery production costs. Coupled with uncertainties in lithium resources supply, cost pressure across the new energy industry became increasingly prominent. Leveraging the advantages of abundant sodium resources, balanced distribution, and controllable costs, sodium-ion batteries have leapt from being a “backup option” for lithium batteries to a key direction for industry breakthrough...

[Lead-Acid Battery Enterprise Updates] Chilwee Group recently disclosed that after the large-scale commissioning of its sodium-ion batteries, they have continued to sell strongly, with all orders for this year already locked in. Its two existing production lines have been operating at full capacity, and eight additional production lines have entered the installation and commissioning stage. At present, the company has 4.5 Gwh of sodium-ion battery capacity and opened its first directly operated sodium-ion battery store in 2025, attempting to directly encourage end-use consumers to replace the lead-acid or lithium batteries in some two-wheeler models with sodium-ion batteries.

Jiujiang Tinci High-Tech Materials has received regulatory approval for its 500,000-ton/year electrolyte project. With a total investment of 542 million yuan, the facility will be located in the Jiujiang Hukou High-Tech Industrial Park, Jiangxi. The project features a dual-track production layout: 450,000 tons/year for lithium-ion batteries and 50,000 tons/year for sodium-ion batteries. Construction is scheduled to commence in March 2026 and reach completion by December 2026, signaling a significant scale-up in the sodium-ion battery supply chain.

On March 17, Shengquan Group (605589.SH) disclosed on the investor interaction platform that the company had completed construction of a 10 kt sodium-ion battery hard carbon anode production line. Products developed based on the dual technology routes of biomass refining and resin have successfully entered the supply chains of leading battery cell enterprises and can be adapted to multiple application scenarios including energy storage and 3C. The industrialisation layout of sodium-ion battery materials has achieved a key breakthrough.

On March 16, Sichuan Xingkong Sodium-ion Battery Co., Ltd. and BASF officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Dazhou, Sichuan. The two parties will engage in in-depth collaboration across three key dimensions: R&D of core materials for sodium-ion batteries, coordination of the industry chain, and international product development, injecting new momentum into the technological advancement and global expansion of the sodium-ion battery sector. This partnership will focus on joint R&D of cutting-edge sodium-ion battery technologies, covering the entire material chain, including ESS parts, battery pack modules, and battery cells. Key areas of emphasis include thermal management, structural design, electrochemical performance enhancement, and material system optimization. Additionally, the collaboration aims to jointly overcome critical technical bottlenecks such as bamboo charcoal anodes and Prussian blue cathodes, driving the iteration of next-generation sodium-ion battery technologies. Simultaneously, BASF will provide Xingkong Sodium-ion Battery with high-quality raw material supplies. The two parties will also work together to develop customized energy storage solutions and establish a shared after-sales service system, accelerating the industrialisation of R&D achievements.

On March 17, the Phase I Expansion Stage 1 Project of CATL's Innovation Laboratory Construction completed the public notice for the completion environmental protection acceptance. The project is located in the Dongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, Ningde, Fujian, with an actual construction investment of 80 million yuan. This acceptance was a phased acceptance, further strengthening the hardware support for sodium-ion battery R&D.

On March 10, 2026, SMM learned that Paixiaozu, a subsidiary of Wisdom Frontier, initiated a tripartite partnership with Dechuang Environmental Protection and Rhino Green Energy to develop a coordinated industry chain deployment centered on the application of sodium-ion battery technology in the two-wheeler rental scenario, jointly building a new ecosystem for sodium-ion battery-powered two-wheeler leasing and promoting the transition of sodium-ion battery technology from isolated technical trials to systematic operational practice. As a digital service platform for two-wheeled electric vehicle leasing, Paixiaozu had already established systematic management capabilities across the entire process, including asset management, order management, risk control, and fund settlement. This collaboration incorporated sodium-ion batteries into a unified operational framework, enabling visualized management of sodium-ion battery assets, data coordination, and controllable risk, thereby laying the foundation for the standardized implementation of sodium-ion batteries in rental scenarios.