this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2024
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Doesn't California have some insane battery too?
Yes, but that is Lithium-ion. These batteries are Sodium-ion which are better for the environment and can potentially be made a lot cheaper.. It's still pretty new technology so it's not really in any consumer products yet.
Sodium batteries are already in electric cars many months ago
https://www.engadget.com/the-first-ev-with-a-lithium-free-sodium-battery-hits-the-road-in-january-214828536.html
Also you could buy individual cells on AliExpress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6zcI1GrkK4
Yes, but you pretty much have to do a full battery test and pen test like the great Scott video because it is really a 60/40 of getting fake sodium ion batteries from Aliexpress 😅
Sodium batteries will not replace lithium in cars, as the density is too low.
It means the battery weighs more but contains less power.
For an EV, that wouldn't work, as the heavier the car is, the more power it uses.
With sodium you will probably half the range of the EV, which is already low.
The newer sodium batteries are comparable to LFP batteries from a few years ago.
For medium distance commuter cars and inner city travel those things dont matter and will probably be outweighed by the cost savings, safety and reliability of sodium batteries. The main issue right now with getting EVs into more peoples hands is cost.
Many EVs have ~250 miles range. I need a quarter of that in usable winter range for my commute. If I could get an EV with 125 miles of advertised range (about half that in winter) for a third the price, I'd do it.
It's not going to replace my road tripping car, but it could replace my commuter, which needs very little range.