Scientists create new solid-state sodium-ion battery — they say it'll make EVs cheaper and safer

1. Technology
2. Electric Vehicles

Scientists create new solid-state sodium-ion battery — they say it'll make EVs cheaper and safer

News By Rory Bathgate published 10 December 2025

A new sodium-ion battery offers a cheaper and safer alternative to conventional lithium-ion systems, scientists say, paving the way for more sustainable EVs.

0 Comments Join the conversation

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)

A breakthrough battery technology could vastly improve the safety of batteries used for electric vehicles (EVs) and could enhance the stability of energy grids, scientists say.

Researchers made the breakthrough while developing solid-state sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries, which could one day supplement and replace the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in many everyday devices today.

The new batteries promise greater safety and lower cost, provided researchers can crack the problem of producing them at scale and in such a way that they have long lifecycles. The researchers published their findings in two studies; the first was released May 19 in the journal Advanced Materials and the second Aug. 15 in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

You may like

• New EV battery tech could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge
• Toyota to launch world's first EV with a solid-state battery by 2027 — they're expected to last longer and charge faster
• Self-healing 'concrete batteries' now 10 times better — they could one day power cities, scientists say

Solid-state sodium batteries could be safer, cheaper, more powerful option - YouTube Watch On

Li-ion batteries, the dominant battery technology found in products ranging from the phones in your hand to electric cars, can suffer from a process known as "thermal runaway." This occurs when a battery experiences a short circuit or physical damage, which sparks a self-sustaining chain reaction that greatly increases heat inside the cells.

Commercial Li-ion batteries also typically contain organic liquid electrolytes, which are an essential component for energy density, as well as efficient charging and discharging. These liquid electrolytes are highly flammable and can lead to batteries catching fire or even exploding when damaged.

Na-ion batteries could be a safer alternative because they contain more stable cathode materials and sodium ions have less electrochemical potential than lithium ions, making them less prone to thermal runaway.

The downside is that Na-ion batteries have a relatively low energy density compared to Li-ion batteries, meaning that they last less time between charges. In addition, Na-ion batteries may presently degrade faster, resulting in a lower overall lifespan. Both of these factors have historically held Na-ion batteries back from becoming mainstream.

Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

But as outlined in the new research, scientists produced a solid material containing sulfur and chlorine that assists conductivity in a similar manner to liquid electrolytes while providing far superior stability. The new battery exhibited a Coulombic efficiency of 99.26% after 600 charging cycles at 0.1C (a 10-hour discharge), nearing the 99% or more that lithium batteries achieve.

Challenging lithium dominance

"We replaced the liquid electrolyte in the battery into a solid-state electrolyte — it’s non-flammable," Yang Zhao, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Western University, said in a video uploaded to YouTube.

The team also used the Canadian Light Source, Canada's national synchrotron facility, to examine the movement of ions inside their solid electrolyte, which confirmed their results.

You may like

• New EV battery tech could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge
• Toyota to launch world's first EV with a solid-state battery by 2027 — they're expected to last longer and charge faster
• Self-healing 'concrete batteries' now 10 times better — they could one day power cities, scientists say

"These X-ray tools allow us to see the local chemical environment, ion pathways, and bonding structures in ways that regular lab instruments can’t," Zhao said in a further statement. "They’re absolutely essential for developing solid-state battery materials."

The new battery technology could help lead to the widespread use of Na-ion batteries, particularly for critical workloads currently filled by more volatile Li-ion batteries, the researchers said. Next, they will have to demonstrate their approach provides the right balance between safety and energy density, as well as a manufacturing method that can be scaled to meet the immense demand for batteries seen around the world.

Despite accounting for around 70% of the world’s rechargeable batteries, Li-ion batteries are primarily used in just a handful of critical applications.

For example, recent International Energy Agency (IEA) data found that the energy sector accounts for over 90% of Li-ion demand.

Currently, battery energy storage systems (BESS) at a national level are under increased scrutiny, particularly after repeated fires at California BESS sites, and require the construction of fire suppression systems. Na-ion could help ease these concerns and speed up the deployment of BESS, which stores the intermittent supply of renewable energy to be delivered later on demand.

RELATED STORIES

—Breakthrough stretchy battery moves like toothpaste and could power pacemakers and hearing aids

—New hydrogen battery can operate four times colder than before — meaning denser and longer-lasting EV batteries

—Chinese scientists have found a way to make batteries more efficient — by using water

Because sodium is plentiful compared with lithium, the mass production of Na-ion batteries could greatly reduce the overall cost of the battery supply chain.

Na-ion batteries also come with the added benefit of being easier to recycle than Li-ion batteries, as covered in a 2023 study, because they contain fewer hazardous materials and no heavy metals.

A number of well-known car brands are already working on Na-ion batteries. In April, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), announced that it is mass-producing Na-ion batteries using its new "Naxtra" battery platform. The product is expected to be used in cars from 2026. Chinese auto giant BYD is also developing Na-ion batteries for grid-scale storage purposes.

Rory Bathgate

Rory Bathgate is a freelance writer for Live Science and Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. Outside of his work for ITPro, Rory is keenly interested in how the tech world intersects with our fight against climate change. This encompasses a focus on the energy transition, particularly renewable energy generation and grid storage as well as advances in electric vehicles and the rapid growth of the electrification market. In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing and science fiction. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, after completing an MA (Hons) in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. You can contact Rory at [email protected].

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more New EV battery tech could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge    Toyota to launch world's first EV with a solid-state battery by 2027 — they're expected to last longer and charge faster    Self-healing 'concrete batteries' now 10 times better — they could one day power cities, scientists say    China's new 'solar-power window coating' can capture energy and power household devices    Earth's crust hides enough 'gold' hydrogen to power the world for tens of thousands of years, emerging research suggests    New semiconductor could allow classical and quantum computing on the same chip, thanks to superconductivity breakthrough    Latest in Electric Vehicles Watch four flying cars go toe-to-toe in new 'Formula One of the skies'    Toyota to launch world's first EV with a solid-state battery by 2027 — they're expected to last longer and charge faster    New hydrogen battery can operate four times colder than before — meaning denser and longer-lasting EV batteries    'Midnight' eVTOL smashes its own record in latest test flight — bringing us closer to operational flying taxis    New EV battery tech could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge    Meet the Chinese supercar that just smashed the EV speed record    Latest in News 'It is the most exciting discovery in my 40-year career': Archaeologists uncover evidence that Neanderthals made fire 400,000 years ago in England    This bright star will soon die in a nuclear explosion — and could be visible in Earth's daytime skies    'It is simply too hot to handle': 2024 was Arab region's hottest year on record, first-of-its-kind climate report reveals    Russia's Bezymianny volcano blew itself apart 69 years ago. It's now almost completely regrown.    Gray hair may have evolved as a protection against cancer, study hints    Scientists create new solid-state sodium-ion battery — they say it'll make EVs cheaper and safer    LATEST ARTICLES

1. 1Russia's Bezymianny volcano blew itself apart 69 years ago. It's now almost completely regrown.
2. 2The 17 best fitness gifts to buy for gym lovers, hand-picked by a personal trainer
3. 3New discoveries at Hadrian's Wall are changing the picture of what life was like on the border of the Roman Empire
4. 4Diagnostic dilemma: Man caught rabies from organ transplant after donor was scratched by skunk
5. 5This bright star will soon die in a nuclear explosion — and could be visible in Earth's daytime skies