Sodium-ion batteries to match lithium-ion battery costs by 2027, says Hina Battery Technology

This could open the mass market to sodium-ion batteries

Li Shujun, Chief Executive of Zhongke Haina (also known as Hina Battery Technology), says sodium-ion batteries are likely to reach cost parity with lithium-ion batteries in the near term.

Current cost ranges for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries

Li explained that lithium battery costs currently sit at 0.3–0.5 yuan per Wh (US$0.044–0.073/Wh). By comparison, sodium batteries are priced at 0.5–0.7 yuan per Wh (US$0.073–0.102/Wh), with the exact figure depending on the application scenario. However, he added that sodium battery costs are falling quickly, whereas lithium battery pricing is facing upward pressure.

When the price curves are expected to cross

He expects the two price bands to intersect at around 2027. By 2028, the forecast is for the ranges to overlap, suggesting sodium batteries could become cost-competitive across a broader mix of use cases. Li noted that this crossover would be a clear sign of market adoption, because large-scale substitution between battery chemistries typically depends on cost alignment.

Outlook after 2028: scale, cost, and energy density

Looking further ahead, Li said sodium-ion battery output could reach the hundreds of GWh after 2028, while cell costs could drop to roughly 0.3 yuan per Wh (US$0.044/Wh). As the technology matures, the energy density of sodium batteries is expected to exceed 180 Wh/kg.

Hina Battery Technology is among the companies pushing the commercialisation of sodium-ion batteries in China, and their deployment is already extending into commercial transport and energy storage systems.