Gotion High-Tech launches high‑energy sodium‑ion batteries with Volkswagen backing

Chinese battery maker Gotion High-Tech announced its new Gnascent brand of sodium‑ion batteries at its 15th Global Technology Conference. The portfolio includes three specialized cells:

• A high‑energy version delivering 261 Wh/kg, about 60% more than conventional sodium‑ion cells and comparable to NMC lithium‑ion batteries, aimed at lightweight electric vehicles and drones.

• A power version with 162 Wh/kg that can operate down to –50 °C, targeting commercial vehicles and equipment in extreme cold.

• An energy‑storage version offering 180 Ah, over 20 000 charge cycles and 88% capacity retention at –40 °C, designed for grid‑scale and industrial storage. The cells passed an 8 mm nail‑penetration test and withstood 400 °C without ignition.

Production lines capable of gigawatt‑hour output are ready in Tangshan and Hefei, China. Volkswagen Group is Gotion’s largest shareholder and supports the development. Gotion, founded in 2006 and based in Hefei, is China’s third‑largest EV battery supplier after CATL and BYD, holding about 6.6% market share and targeting 400 GWh total storage capacity by the end of 2025. The company holds more than 90 patents covering cathode materials, hard‑carbon anodes and electrolyte additives, with an “anode‑less” design that reduces cost and boosts energy density.