The world of electric vehicles is now shifting towards an alternative, with JAC Motors proudly presenting its new EV fleet that will feature the world's first-ever Sodium-ion batteries to power the car. Through JAC Motors Yiwei, these new EVs will bring a different kind of power cell, one that no longer relies on lithium for the batteries to deliver what it needs.
JAC Motors Brings New EVs with Sodium-ion Batteries
CarNewsChina reported that the world's first electric vehicles equipped with sodium-ion batteries are coming next year, with JAC Motors offering the latest power cells on their Yiwei EV platform. This will feature the new power source for the cars, the sodium-ion battery, centering on the first mass-produced EVs of its kind.
The sodium-ion battery has a lower density compared to lithium-ion, but it performs better than the current-gen batteries in colder temperatures, particularly in winter conditions.
According to Engadget, JAC Motors is best known as a Volkswagen-backed Chinese car company, with Yiwei being its new brand that only debuted in 2023. Volkswagen owns a 75 percent stake in JAC, as well as its parent company, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Holdings (JAG), where it owns 50 percent.
JAC Motors Yiwei EVs: Coming this 2024
Yiwei EVs feature a striking resemblance to its siblings, those under JAC Motors' regular electric vehicle lineup in China and other markets.
This new battery from JAC Motors uses cylindrical sodium-ion cells and assembles the modular UE (Unitized Encapsulation) honeycomb structure.
It was not revealed when JAC Motors would release the Yiwei EVs come next year, and it also remains unknown if this would be a wide release to all of its markets, or be exclusive to the Chinese market only.
The Shift from Lithium-ion Batteries
For many years, the alkali metal known as lithium has been one of the main components needed to create the batteries that bring electric power to devices that do not rely on direct power sources. However, one of the main problems of lithium is that manufacturers need to mine, and there are many against these procedures, even the likes of NASA.
That being said, there have been various studies that looked for possible alternatives in creating the next-generation power cells for different applications in the world. Back in 2018, scientists considered using sodium to replace lithium, but there were initial problems in getting it to work, especially as it may combust when exposed to water.
It has been five years since then, and throughout the numerous studies made behind it, researchers were able to figure out a way to make it work and bring power to different technologies. Now, EVs are getting this newfound power, with JAC Motors Yiwei electric cars coming next year, set to deliver the first-ever vehicles powered by sodium-ion batteries.
