Gotion unveils Gnascent sodium-ion batteries with 261 Wh/kg

Gotion High-Tech, one of China’s largest battery manufacturers and a company whose biggest shareholder is the Volkswagen Group, has announced a new battery family called Gnascent. This new range of sodium-ion batteries is ready to move into production, according to the manufacturer.

The unveiling took place this week at the company’s 15th Global Technology Conference. It comprises three sodium-ion technology variants, whose key advantage is their substantially lower cost compared with conventional NMC (nickel, manganese and cobalt) and LFP (lithium iron phosphate) lithium-ion batteries.

Gnascent sodium-ion batteries for vehicles and storage

The version intended for passenger vehicles, drones and eVTOL aircraft claims an energy density of 261 Wh/kg. Gotion says this figure is 60% higher than that of sodium batteries currently available on the market.

CATL, for instance, has announced a gravimetric energy density of 205 Wh/kg for its Shenxing Plus LFP battery. Gotion’s claimed 261 Wh/kg for this sodium battery therefore exceeds the level achieved by many current LFP solutions, although the comparison needs to be treated with caution: this refers to a specific cell rather than necessarily a complete pack ready to be installed in a production vehicle. For context, current LFP batteries typically deliver cell-level energy density of around 170 Wh/kg to 200 Wh/kg.

Gnascent’s second version delivers 162 Wh/kg and has been designed for use at very low temperatures, operating in conditions down to -50 °C. Gotion is targeting this solution at commercial vehicles and outdoor equipment used in extremely cold regions.

The third variant is aimed at energy storage. It uses 180 Ah cells, has a claimed service life of more than 20,000 cycles and retains 88% of its capacity at -40 °C. The company says the technology has already passed safety tests including penetration by an 8 mm steel nail and heating to 400 °C without ignition.

Volkswagen’s Chinese battery advantage

Although it remains relatively unknown to the wider public, Gotion High-Tech is one of China’s battery giants, albeit still a long way behind global leader CATL. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Hefei, Gotion High-Tech counts the Volkswagen Group as its largest shareholder.

This year, it climbed to third place among the largest electric-vehicle battery suppliers in China, behind only CATL and BYD. It recorded 4.05 GWh installed and a 6.6% market share, according to China EV Data Tracker.

The new Gnascent family batteries are based on more than 90 patents relating to cathode materials, hard-carbon anodes and electrolyte additives. Gotion also cites an “anode-less” architecture, designed to lower material costs and raise energy density.

Sodium technology gains ground

Sodium technology does not yet pose a direct challenge to lithium batteries in electric cars with the longest ranges, but it is gaining ground in applications where cost, safety, raw-material availability and performance in extreme cold may be decisive.

With Gotion, Volkswagen joins manufacturers including CATL and BYD in the race to industrialise these solutions. The company could become an important asset in the Volkswagen Group’s plans to regain leadership in the Chinese market: