South Korean battery material manufacturer EcoPro BM is in close discussion with a domestic automotive manufacturer in Korea to produce sodium-ion battery cathode materials as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

 

Lee Dongwook, the head of EcoPro's technical department, stated that the company has recently begun discussing with the Korean automaker the release of electric vehicles equipped with sodium-ion batteries. Speaking at a press conference held during InterBattery Europe 2024 in Munich, he said, "We are in the final stages of developing cathode materials, and we need to monitor the market conditions for EV batteries."

"For two years, we have been developing sodium-ion related technologies and have reached a level where we can start production immediately," said Lee. EcoPro's production of sodium-ion battery cathode materials is compatible with the company's lithium-ion battery cathode material production line, so initiating the production of sodium-ion battery cathode materials will not take a long time.

However, he also revealed to the media that due to the lack of demand from Korean battery manufacturers, mass production of sodium-ion battery cathode materials has not yet started, and it is necessary to pay attention to the demand conditions in the market.

 

EcoPro BM's cathode material production line (from KED)

Sodium-ion batteries are widely considered as a supplement to lithium-ion batteries due to their high resource abundance, potential low cost, good charging performance and low-temperature performance, but also due to their relatively lower energy density. However, as sodium-ion battery technology is not yet fully mature and the prices are relatively high, coupled with the decline in lithium prices, sodium-ion batteries will need more time to show their cost advantage over lithium-ion batteries.

"In the current situation where demand for electric vehicles is weakening, sodium-ion batteries are difficult to become a substitute for lithium-ion batteries because lithium is cheap enough," said a senior executive of a South Korean battery company.

EcoPro believes that it has surpassed China in the production technology of sodium-ion battery cathode materials and stated that it can upgrade sodium-ion battery technology to the level of lithium iron phosphate batteries within one to two years.

South Korean battery companies, due to their focus on nickel-manganese-cobalt technology routes, are generally lagging behind their Chinese competitors in the field of lithium iron phosphate batteries.

At present, CATL's sodium-ion batteries have been supplied to Geely Automobile for vehicle assembly, and companies such as HiNa Battery and Farasis also have sodium-ion battery models that have been installed.

In addition, another South Korean battery material company, POSCO Future M, is focusing on developing cathode materials for LMFP (Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate) batteries.