CATL plans mass sodium battery rollout in 2026 covering battery swapping, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage. CATL’s sodium-ion battery brand “Naxtra” is set to commence public winter testing in the passenger vehicle sector. Insiders reveal that Changan Oshan models will participate in this round of testing, with GAC and JAC passenger vehicles to follow suit. This signals CATL’s accelerated push from commercial vehicles into the passenger car market following technical validation, with 2026 poised to become the milestone year for sodium-ion battery commercialization. A model of the second-gen Shenxing battery Launched by CATL in April 2025, the Naxtra battery achieves an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, nearing the level of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Official test data shows that at minus 30°C, the Naxtra battery charges from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes while retaining 93% available capacity. Even at minus 40°C, available capacity remains above 90%, and the battery can sustain 120 km/h highway speeds even at 10% state of charge. On safety, the Naxtra battery has passed the GB 38031-2025 new national standard certification taking effect July 1, 2026. It has also passed multi-face crushing, nail penetration, and drill penetration tests without fire or explosion. In June 2025, the “Naxtra 24V” integrated start-stop and parking battery for heavy-duty trucks entered mass production, featuring an 8-year lifespan and 61% lower total cost of ownership compared to traditional lead-acid batteries. On January 22, 2026, CATL unveiled the “Tianxing II Light Commercial” low-temperature solution: its 45 kWh sodium battery enables plug-and-charge and full-load hill climbing at minus 30°C, designed specifically for mini trucks and mid-size vans. According to CATL’s December 2025 supplier conference, the company will deploy sodium batteries at scale across four segments in 2026: battery swapping, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage—establishing a “sodium-lithium” dual-track industrial layout.
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