Sodium Batteries Are Coming For Your Gasmobiles

Last Updated on: 11th June 2025, 09:56 am

The battle against EVs is a losing one. Automotive innovators just keep on coming up with new ways to improve the EV experience, with battery safety, cost, performance, and supply chain being particular areas of focus. The latest example is the California startup Unigrid, which is one giant step closer to manufacturing next-generation sodium batteries at scale for stationary energy storage, with emerging EV markets also in its sights.

California Places A $3 Million Bet On Sodium Batteries

Unigrid is casting a wide net for its new sodium-ion battery formula. The initial focus is on stationary storage for residential use, with commercial, industrial, and utility scale batteries as next steps. The company also includes EV batteries for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger cars and off-road vehicles on their to-do list for emerging markets, so it will be interesting to see if they can pull it off. Sodium batteries have faced a number of technology challenges including weight, which generally works against the idea of mobility applications.

Still, Unigrid does state that its new anode formula provides for greater energy density compared to conventional sodium batteries. Other innovators have also indicated that mobility applications are in sight.

For the time being, the California Energy Commission is banking on the stationary storage market. In April, CEC approved a grant of almost $3 million for Unigrid to set up a pilot scale production line for its sodium batteries in San Diego, tasked with producing from 250 to 750 batteries per day to be deployed for stationary energy storage in homes.

“This agreement will fund the design, build-out, and validation of a Low-Rate Initial Production line in San Diego to manufacture advanced Sodium-ion Batteries suitable for residential energy storage with a greater volumetric energy density than is commercially available due to their proprietary electrolyte and anode chemistry,” reads the CEC award resolution. The pilot line will produce cylindrical batteries, in accord with Unigrid’s goal of producing drop-in replacements for other battery formulas.

Sodium Batteries Vs. Lithium-Ion Batteries

Conventional lithium-ion batteries have shouldered the lion’s share of the electrification movement, including residential energy storage systems as well as EV batteries, so it’s worth asking why CEC decided to put up almost $3 million towards something new and different.

In its grant application material, Unigrid takes note of obstacles standing in the way of marketability. The allure of a sodium battery lies in its use of a cheap, abundant material, namely, salt. However, that doesn’t make sodium batteries necessarily less expensive than their lithium-ion cousins. In fact, Unigrid notes that the two formulas are roughly equivalent in cost, at least for the present.

Nevertheless, cost is just one element that CEC factored into its search for an improved home energy storage platform. In its grant request form, Unigrid takes note of three widely recognized areas of in which sodium batteries represent an improvement over Li-ion technology.

Safety is one concern. As Unigrid indicates, today’s Li-ion batteries are safe as-is. However, extraordinary circumstances can touch off a risk event. “They present safety hazards, such as battery failure or fire during a short circuit or when operated under harsh environments and extreme temperatures,” Unigrid observes.

Unigrid also takes note of supply chain issues involving imported lithium, cobalt, and other materials that raise “ethical concerns about extraction methods and labor practices.”

The third area of concern is the use of volatile substances and other hazardous materials in Li-ion batteries. “They are hazardous to the environment due to the toxic materials used in their16 fabrication,” Unigrid states.

How Close Are We To Sodium Batteries In EVs?

As for cost, Unigrid also appears to be on track to resolve that issue. Without giving away too many details, the company states that its proprietary NIB (sodium-ion battery) formula has the potential to cut costs when manufactured at full volume, as applied to residential energy storage. Unigrid pegs the current cost of commercially available Li-ion batteries with LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) cathodes at more than $100 per kilowatt-hour, compared to a projected cost of $75 per kilowatt-hour for its sodium batteries.

“This Agreement will lead to technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome barriers to the achievement of the State of California’s statutory energy goals by producing a sodium-ion battery of reduced cost and environmental burden, and increased supply chain security, safety, and energy density,” Unigrid states, noting that its new, proprietary anode has “five times the density (7.3 g/cm3) and three times the capacity (>800 mAh/g) compared to conventional hard carbon anodes.”

“This alternative anode enables the NIB to be produced with high volumetric energy densities (350 Wh/L) which is greater than conventional sodium-ion batteries (200-250 Wh/L) and comparable to state-of-the-art LFP batteries (300-35038 Wh/L), while still reducing overall costs,” the company adds.

Unigrid further states that its sodium batteries provide “all the environmental and safety benefits of NIBs” while beating — not just meeting — Li-ion batteries with LFP cathodes.

“Additionally, sodium-based materials can be sourced domestically, reducing the import reliance and supply chain challenges faced by conventional LIB materials, such as lithium and cobalt,” Unigrid emphasizes.

While the grant application focuses on residential stationary storage, Unigrid also dropped a hint that it does aim to compete against the Li-ion/LFP batteries emerging in the EV field among other applications.

Losing The War On EVs

The latest AAA driver survey suggests a souring environment for EV sales in the US. However, the AAA survey is just one survey. Other surveys indicate a more positive outlook, particularly among fleet operators.

Then there’s the iconic US restaurateur Waffle House, which recently announced plans to install EV charging stations at 50 of its restaurants next year. Cracker Barrel and Dennys are among many other traveler-oriented food purveyors jockeying to attract a new generation of EV drivers. What do they know that we don’t?

In addition, to the extent that the AAA survey reflects the wheels-on-the-ground situation, one might say the mood has soured for just about any major purchase among many US households, including new gasmobiles. Aside from economic upheaval arising from the President’s on-again, off-again tariff policy, tens of thousands of federal workers have experienced a sudden change in fortune this year. Thousands more have lost work funded through federal grants. Thousands of US households employed in clean tech industries will also face job loss if the Republican majority in Congress follows through with its plan to eliminate tax credits that support decarbonization. Rising utility bills are adding to the crunch, too.

As for why the Republican majority in Congress wants to undermine the booming US clean tech industries, that’s a good question. If you get an answer, drop a note in the comment thread.

Photo (cropped): The US startup Unigrid is on track to produce sodium-ion batteries at pilot scale with an initial focus on residential energy storage, leading up to commercial, industrial, utility, and mobility applications (courtesy of Unigrid).