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GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

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Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#11

Post by wlesieutre »

TwiztidK wrote: post #4

My company operates two Jupiter Power owned LFP batteries in the MISO market. Each of them draws .5 - 2MW constantly for the HVAC system. If the cost for sodium batteries is similar to LFP, that alone would be a reason to switch.

Not an expert, but from what I read the expectation is for sodium ion batteries to get substantially cheaper than lithium, mainly due to material cost.

Lithium makes up 0.002% of the Earth's crust, meanwhile sodium is 2.36%, and there's quite a lot of it in the ocean.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth...

The main downside is power density, which for grid storage is not as big a deal as it is for vehicles. But it will still be some years of research on sodium batteries for the cost advantage and manufacturing scale to materialize.

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#12

Post by hunterpayne »

SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

I want to replace my Lithium home battery, and what I really want to do it to move to one of the new sodium ion batteries..e.g like the one CATL is supposed to have at some point? Anyone have a good idea when these will be available for consumers?

[flagged]

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#13

Post by cyberax »

SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

I want to replace my Lithium home battery, and what I really want to do it to move to one of the new sodium ion batteries..e.g like the one CATL is supposed to have at some point? Anyone have a good idea when these will be available for consumers?

Na-Ion batteries are not practical for home storage right now. They have a much higher voltage range compared to LFP batteries, so regular inverters and chargers will not work reliably. Nothing insurmountable, but the supply chain is just not here.

Na-Ion cells are great for grid-scale storage because they potentially can go down to something like $20 per kWh. But bulk LFP cells are already at ~$60 per kWh, so their cost is not really a deciding factor anymore.

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#14

Post by hunterpayne »

cramer4next wrote: post #8

Its a failure in the U.S. because the bet is on solid state batteries. Personally I won't take the EV plunge until they have those. The only exception for me to not wait would be the 10k BYD car. At that price point and it lasted 3 years i'd be happy.

Nobody in their right mind would put Na-ion batteries in an EV. The lawsuits would never stop. It would be worse than Asbestos lawsuits.

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#15

Post by cyberax »

petcat wrote: post #7
cyberax wrote: post #6

Keep in mind, we could have had local Na-Ion battery production in the US. The company producing them needed about $5m of bridge loans, with products already sitting in warehouses awaiting the UL certification. This company got sold for scrap.

your comment would be more interesting if you actually provided any details at all

Sorry, I accidentally cut off the last paragraph when posting. The company was Natron Energy: https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/05/natrons-liquidation-shows-...

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#16

Post by xbmcuser »

hunterpayne wrote: post #12
SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

I want to replace my Lithium home battery, and what I really want to do it to move to one of the new sodium ion batteries..e.g like the one CATL is supposed to have at some point? Anyone have a good idea when these will be available for consumers?

[flagged]

What bullshit are you spouting sodium batteries are safer and do not have the same thermal runway concern that lithium batteries do.

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#17

Post by Brybry »

tootie wrote: post #3

> Peak Energy is buying its commercial cells via contracts with Chinese suppliers So really just assembly and sales then. I suppose it's a good start and maybe if business takes off they can figure out their own cells.

Yeah, I had questions when Kurt Kelty was saying that Peak's battery was "kicking butt" after the article said Peak is still building their battery factory and currently buys its cells from China.

Is GM testing Peak's cells or some Chinese company's cells?

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#18

Post by rcxdude »

hunterpayne wrote: post #12
SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

I want to replace my Lithium home battery, and what I really want to do it to move to one of the new sodium ion batteries..e.g like the one CATL is supposed to have at some point? Anyone have a good idea when these will be available for consumers?

[flagged]

What? All the data suggests that sodium ion batteries are safer than lithium ion batteries: it is harder to set them into thermal runaway and they are less violent when they do so.

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#19

Post by syntaxing »

XorNot wrote: post #5
SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

I want to replace my Lithium home battery, and what I really want to do it to move to one of the new sodium ion batteries..e.g like the one CATL is supposed to have at some point? Anyone have a good idea when these will be available for consumers?

Why would you replace it? That asset likely has at least 10 years in it if you already have it.

Probably operating temperature and safety.

Re: GM Backs Sodium Ion Batteries for U.S. Grid Storage

#20

Post by chewbacha »

hunterpayne wrote: post #12
SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

I want to replace my Lithium home battery, and what I really want to do it to move to one of the new sodium ion batteries..e.g like the one CATL is supposed to have at some point? Anyone have a good idea when these will be available for consumers?

[flagged]

Pretty that’s just not true.

Sodium ion batteries are less energy dense than lithium ion and are not prone to dendrite formation. They are also more thermally stable and less likely to do thermal run away reactions.

Also, since they are less energy dense they don’t store the same potential energy.

You are probably thinking of metallic sodium batteries which are completely different.

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