Clarios, Altris and InoBat are moving their sodium-ion battery programme towards pilot-scale and small-series production after validating cold-cranking performance at temperatures as low as –40°C.
The companies said the latest development work included internal testing and evaluations by customers in the automotive, commercial vehicle, heavy-duty, off-highway and intralogistics sectors.
Summer trials were conducted under what the partners described as demanding operating conditions. Testing also extended the cells’ cold-cranking capability to –40°C, improving on previously reported performance and addressing one of the more demanding requirements for automotive low-voltage batteries.
Federico Morales-Zimmermann, vice-president and general manager for global OEM customers, products and engineering at Clarios, said: “The latest validation results mark an important step forward in our sodium-ion roadmap. Ongoing validation work with key customers across automotive, heavy-duty and off-highway applications, combined with expanded testing activities and improved low-temperature performance, gives us confidence to move from technology development toward pilot-scale and small-series production.
“Sodium-ion is becoming a commercially relevant technology pathway for future low-voltage and high-power applications.”
Customer feedback has been used to refine application requirements and confirm the suitability of the present cell design, according to the companies.
The cells use Swedish developer Altris’s Prussian White cathode active material, marketed under the Fennac name. The chemistry contains no lithium, nickel or cobalt and is intended to support a more localised European battery supply chain.
Christer Bergquist, CEO of Altris, said: “Automotive low-voltage is one of the most demanding validation environments for sodium-ion technology, and Altris’ cathode material has now come through it. Proving the chemistry at that standard, with a material that uses no lithium, nickel or cobalt and can be produced in Europe at scale, is what makes the next phase possible.”
Pilot manufacturing and preparations for small-series production will take place at InoBat’s Volta facility in Voderady, Slovakia. The site combines cell research and development, testing and pilot production.
Marian Bocek, co-founder and CEO of InoBat, said: “One of the biggest challenges in battery innovation is bridging the gap between successful development and scalable manufacturing. Pilot-scale production alongside InoBat engineering and manufacturing expertise allows us to validate processes, support customer programs and prepare the technology for broader commercialization. At InoBat, we strongly believe in Na-ion as an enabler for sovereign and secure western supply chain.
“Our current activities with Clarios and Altris take an important step on the path toward this vision.”
Clarios and Altris expanded their partnership in January under a joint development agreement covering the Power Sodium product. At the time, Clarios said it intended to begin series production of low-voltage sodium-ion batteries at a dedicated European or US plant before the end of the decade.
The partners have not disclosed the cells’ capacity, energy density, production volumes or timetable for the proposed small-series manufacturing.
