China’s $10 EV Battery Could Upend the US Auto Market
Category: Health, Science & Technology
Via: bob-nelson • last year • 7 commentsBy: Brian Iselin - Autoblog
China is already leading - and pulling ever farther ahead - in the inevitable electrification of the world.
So... this would be a great time to destroy America's solar and wind and battery industries.
Drill, baby, DRILL!!!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
How China’s Battery Factories Are Rewriting the Rules
Chinese engineers at CATL (the world’s largest EV battery maker) have begun mass-producing sodium-ion cells at their new 30GWh facility in Fujian province, with plans to supply automakers like Chery and BYD by late 2025. This isn’t lab hype: CATL’s first-gen sodium batteries already power 250,000 urban delivery vans across China, offering 120-160Wh/kg energy density.
For cars, more needs to be done about range. But a 10,000 life cycle, to Tesla ’s 1500, lifespan speaks volumes. Best for grid storage and city cars, the economics are transformative. Sodium-ion production costs 70% less than lithium packs because of:
- Abundant materials : Sodium carbonate costs $200/ton vs. lithium carbonate’s $15,000/ton (2025 prices)
- Simplified mining : Extractable from seawater or Wyoming’s Green River Basin (90% of global reserves)
- No cobalt/nickel : Skips conflict minerals tied to Congo’s mines
- Extortion free : Cannot be held to ransom by anyone on lithium supply.
Implication for US Buyers : If adopted domestically, sodium batteries could slash entry-level EV prices by $8,000–$12,000, making models like the Chevrolet Bolt 2.0 or Ford E-Transit van accessible to millions.
Detroit’s Lithium Trap: GM’s V8 Mistake Reborn
America’s automakers are repeating history. Just as GM clung to gas-guzzling V8s during the 1970s oil crisis, today’s EV strategies rely entirely on lithium—a mineral with 1,400% price volatility since 2020. If lithium supplies tighten again (e.g., Bolivia nationalizes reserves or Australia’s mines strike), the fallout would be catastrophic:
- EV price spikes : A $100/kWh lithium battery adds $6,500 to a 65kWh pack
- Production halts : Ford ’s $3.5B Michigan plant depends on Chilean lithium
- Geopolitical blackmail : China controls 65% of lithium refining (according to the U.S. Geological Survey)
Sodium-ion batteries offer an escape hatch. According to statements by CATL executives, the company can switch chemistries like changing shoes—lithium today, sodium tomorrow. US automakers, shackled by IRA domestic sourcing rules, lack this flexibility. That must change. And fast.
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If Trump was a foreign agent, he couldn't do any greater harm than he's doing.
And all MAGAs, including our own here on NT, are praising his brilliance.
It boggles the mind...
Since i don't suffer from TDS, maybe you can explain how an article about Sodium battery advancements has anything to do with trump?
If you pay attention to the news, you won't need any explanation.
So you have no valid explanation for your comment.
"Conversations" with MAGA_True_Believers© here on NT have become a total waste of time. MAGA_True_Believers© almost never propose anything; they deny, deflect, derail. They waste everyone's time. I, for one, have decided not to let them waste any more of my time. From now on, I will simply copy/paste this in response to "standard" MAGA_True_Believer© Comments.
Be well.
Sodium ion batteries have 1/2 to 2/3 the energy density of lithium ion batteries and a much shorter lifespan than lithium ion batteries. Disposal of sodium ion batteries are likely to become more environmentally challenging since there isn't enough recoverable value contained in the batteries.
Research to lower the cost of lithium extraction and production would provide more benefit in the long term. Too bad Bill Clinton killed off Federal research on mining and mineral production. Cheap shortcuts like sodium ion batteries will have a much larger cost on the back end.
China's breakthrough sodium ion battery may have come from Federally funded research.
Too bad the Biden administration didn't take steps to address China capitalizing on US taxpayer funded innovation. But, then, Warren Buffet needs to do something with his money.