Unigrid has announced its Na⁺ Fleet platform, a sodium-ion alternative designed as a direct drop-in replacement for conventional 12V starter batteries.
Built on the company’s NaCrO₂ (NCO) cell technology, the platform enables OEMs to integrate sodium-ion packs seamlessly into existing vehicle systems.
The global 12V starter battery market has long depended on lead-acid units. These heavy batteries demand regular maintenance, suffer from high self-discharge, and typically require replacement multiple times during a vehicle’s lifespan. Unigrid says that lithium-based solutions have attempted to address these shortcomings but introduce new risks, including reliance on complex battery management systems, poor cold-weather performance, and fire hazards in engine bays.
By contrast, the company claims that sodium-ion offers a smaller, lighter design with enhanced efficiency, superior power delivery, and a significantly longer service life.
“NCO sodium-ion, available today, beats lead-acid in almost all metrics relevant for SLI applications, including total cost,” said Darren H. S. Tan, CEO and co-founder of Unigrid. “Strategically, this is an attractive early entry market for sodium-ion; it is a large, already existing market using an outdated technology that is primed for disruption.”
Na⁺ Fleet is compatible with a wide range of vehicles and equipment, from cars and motorcycles to forklifts, buses, and HEV/EV systems. Its versatile cell sizes allow flexible configurations, enabling it to directly replace lead-acid across multiple form factors,
