The Market is Expanding at a Breakneck Pace
The global sodium-ion battery market is now entering a phase of explosive growth. Industry analysts project that worldwide shipments will hit 23.1 GWh in 2025, representing a significant year-on-year increase. Currently, the energy storage sector continues to be the largest application, accounting for roughly 52% of the market. Meanwhile, demand is rapidly accelerating in other segments like light-power vehicles (e.g., e-bikes), high-power electric vehicles, and start-stop systems.
Technology Roads are Diversifying and Competing
On the cathode front, multiple pathways are now competing for dominance. The polyanion route is quickly gaining market share due to its high safety and low cost, with its 2025 shipment volume expected to surge by over sevenfold. In contrast, layered oxides still maintain their leading position thanks to higher energy density, but their market share is gradually declining. Prussian blue analogues, however, remain a niche player as the industry continues to tackle challenges in their industrialization.
Shifting to anode materials, hard carbon firmly holds the mainstream position. Among the various options, biomass-derived hard carbon has emerged as the primary choice, striking a balance between acceptable performance and low cost. At the same time, companies are actively testing and validating other routes, including resin-based and coal-based hard carbons.
The Supply Chain is Maturing Rapidly
The entire industrial chain is swiftly building out its capacity. In fact, planned production capacity for sodium-ion batteries will reach 500 GWh in 2025, with an estimated 45 GWh of that actually coming online. Major industry players like CATL and BYD are leading this charge, commissioning several ten-thousand-ton production lines.
Consequently, costs across the board are falling. Prices throughout the supply chain—for cathode materials, anode materials, and cells—are projected to drop by another 10-30%. This continued price decline is significantly enhancing the technology’s cost-competitiveness.
New Applications are Emerging Everywhere
In the energy storage sector, we are seeing a rise in hundred-megawatt-level projects. The technology is also penetrating new niches like telecommunications base stations and commercial & industrial energy storage.
The transportation sector is witnessing even more dramatic breakthroughs. While sodium-ion batteries already power A00-class micro vehicles, they are now making inroads into other segments of new energy vehicles. A notable trend is the adoption of lithium-sodium hybrid battery systems in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Furthermore, the technology is achieving mass supply for the two-wheeler market, and the start-stop battery market is truly taking off.
The Industry is Going Global
Chinese companies are increasingly flexing their muscles on the international stage, now exporting sodium-ion battery products to Southeast Asia and Europe. Simultaneously, other nations including the United States, Japan, and South Korea are actively developing their own strategies, shaping the early stages of a truly global competitive landscape.
Supportive Policies are Solidifying the Foundation
Finally, government support continues to be a key growth driver. National and local policies in China, such as the “High-Quality Development Action Plan for the New Energy Storage Manufacturing Industry,” are providing strong tailwinds. Moreover, the industry is steadily establishing a comprehensive standard system, which provides a more reliable framework for large-scale industrialization.
In summary, the sodium-ion battery industry is hitting its stride in 2025, transitioning into a phase of mass production and adoption. The powerful synergy of technological progress, falling costs, application diversification, and a robust supply chain is firmly establishing sodium-ion technology as a vital complement to lithium-ion batteries. It is poised to play an increasingly important role in our energy storage and transportation systems.
