Tesla supplier LG and biggest oil refiner enter sodium-ion battery business with new electrode development

The world's biggest fossil fuel refiner Sinopec and Tesla battery supplier LG have established a partnership to develop the next generation of sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage.

Under the agreement, LG will develop new cathode and anode materials for sodium-ion batteries by leveraging Sinopec's significant chemical and production scaling expertise. Both companies are entering the sodium-ion battery market for the first time, but LG has already proven its EV mettle by producing advanced batteries for Tesla, including the new units with increased energy density that Tesla managed to boost the Model Y range with not long ago.

"We will develop next-generation battery materials in a timely manner through cooperation with Sinopec," said LG, and cited the performance areas that it will target. Sodium-ion batteries have inherent advantages before lithium ones, according to LG, and it will seek to leverage their stellar performance in cold weather as well as their safety profile.

The ultimate goal of the new LG joint venture with Sinopec over the next generation of the sodium-ion chemistry will be to produce cost competitive Na batteries for affordable electric vehicles as well as energy storage systems.

LG Chem has already notched several EV battery success stories thanks to the research in its cathode materials division and plans to produce 4680 batteries that are better than what Tesla currently puts in the Cybertruck when it comes to thermal efficiency hence charging performance. LG is now aiming to crack the cost and performance code of Na batteries, but it remains to be seen if Tesla will be one of its sodium-ion battery customers.

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