CATL sets Q4 2026 for Naxtra sodium-ion mass production

CATL unveiled the Naxtra sodium-ion battery at its Super Technology Day in Beijing among six battery technologies, including an integrated charging and swapping network. It said the sodium-ion line had reached GWh-scale industrialization.

At the 2026 Equipment Powerhouse Forum, Chief Scientist Wu Kai said mass production begins in the fourth quarter of 2026, restating the end-2026 target.

Getting there meant clearing problems that had kept sodium-ion in pilot plants. CATL lists four it says it solved: extreme water control, gas generation in hard carbon, aluminium foil adhesion and self-forming anode systems. CATL says it addressed more than 100 separate engineering obstacles. Wu described a multi-chemistry strategy: LFP is nearing its theoretical energy density limit, NCM leads on energy density, and sodium-ion suits extreme cold and storage.

The first car and its range

The first production passenger car with the chemistry is the Changan Nevo A06, due in mid-2026. It uses a 45 kWh Naxtra pack rated at 400 km on the CLTC cycle.

The same car with LFP batteries is rated at 510 km and 630 km. That gap is the trade: Naxtra's energy density is up to 175 Wh/kg, below many lithium-ion alternatives.

Cold performance

The sodium pack's advantage is cold weather. CATL says it keeps more than 90% of capacity at -40 °C and delivers nearly three times the discharge power of an equivalent LFP battery at -30 °C. Changan says discharge stays stable at -50 °C.

Changan tested the pack in Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia. It says the pack survived multi-directional extrusion, drill penetration and being sawn through while charged, with no fire. Its Avatr, Deepal, Nevo and Uni brands will adopt Naxtra progressively.

In Xinjiang, temperatures regularly drop below -25 °C. There, LFP charging times can double and usable capacity can fall by up to 40%, Notebookcheck reported.

Cost and range

On cost, CATL believes sodium-ion could eventually cost around 30% less than comparable LFP batteries. Sodium cells can use aluminium foil on both electrodes instead of copper, which CATL says cuts collector cost by 70%.

CATL's 500 km figure is a target. It says Naxtra's Cell-to-Pack layout and battery management system already support more than 400 km. It expects 500 km to 600 km for pure-electric variants as the sodium-ion supply chain matures.

In September 2025 the company said its next-generation sodium-ion battery supports more than 500 km and was ready for mass production on a 2026 timeline. Its sodium-ion products were the first sodium-ion batteries to achieve certification under China's GB 38031-2025 traction battery standard, which takes effect in mid-2026. The standard covers thermal stability, mechanical impact resistance and fast-charge cycling.

Lifespan and supply

Naxtra cells have cleared a 15,000-cycle benchmark, which CATL translates into a 20-year service life. Notebookcheck reported that this exceeds LFP in high-frequency cycling.

A 'One Shell, Two Cells' enclosure design lets the same pack footprint hold lithium-ion or sodium-ion cells. A fleet can then switch chemistry without changing thermal systems or chassis.

Ronbay, which makes cathode mixes for CATL, is expanding sodium cathode capacity from 6,000 tonnes a year to a planned 28,000 tonnes by the end of 2026.