Technology

Sodium ion is great, but

While batteries have enabled passenger car developments, they have been somewhat stymied in large mobile power applications like shipping and electric trucks. That day is gone now. At these costs, electric shipping is achievable and the debate over alternative fuels will fall off quickly as applications are realized.

heavy transport is not the right application. Very heavy, and LFP has similar advantages while only being medium heavy. heating vehicle batteries is a solved problem.

https://micapower.en.made-in-china.com/product/YtVpSrTCuEkm/China-Grade-a-Catl-EV-Sodium-Ion-Battery-100ah-3-0V-Sodium-Na-Ion-Battery-Cell-for-EV-Smart-Storage-System-off-Grid-Power-Emergency-Backup-Power-Automotive-and-Marin.html

Great that you can get a home power 48v 33.6kwh system for well under $3000. (afaik, it comes with connector plates for 112x100ahx3v for $2340. Don't know about shipping or a box)

For 10% more, on that site, LFP is 33% lighter. Can affect shipping costs.

Sodium ion has extra applications/advantages. Not requiring a heated space could place them under solar panels in the field.

At $100/kwh or less, "retail", offgrid even oversized solar+ batteries is far cheaper than any utility service. At low charge/discharge rates (4+ hour charge from solar, and 16 hours of discharge (even with 0.25c peak discharge), 10000 cycles is achievable with both chemistries. $0.01/kwh/cycle.

This has got to be better than lithium mining.

3kW vibrator?
15m42s

:'''(

While Sodium-Ion sounds legitimately promising, we’ve all read so many articles about “revolutionary new battery tech” over the years that the default response is “cool, let me know when mass production starts.”