Can sodium-ion batteries power the next wave of clean trucking?

Time of India

2 days ago

While battery technologies like sodium-ion have garnered attention for all the right reasons, one segment that stands to benefit significantly is the heavy-duty trucking and logistics sector. As the world pushes for cleaner alternatives, sodium-ion batteries could be pivotal in moving the sector away from conventional fuels. Currently, sodium-ion batteries are largely deployed for stationary energy storage and are undergoing trials for electric trucks in countries such as China.
Why Sodium-Ion Makes Sense for Heavy Trucks
Experts highlight a range of benefits sodium-ion batteries offer for commercial applications. Apart from their potential cost savings, the sodium-ion batteries offer much higher resistance to temperature, maintaining 90per cent of its available power at -40 degrees Celsius. This makes them ideal for trucks operating in extreme weather conditions where traditional lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries often falter.
Moreover, aggressive braking and acceleration, which are common in trucking operations, place additional stress on EV motors and accelerate battery drain. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), with their ability to hold energy more steadily, are less prone to such sudden performance drops, say experts.
Rajat Mahajan
, Partner and Automotive sector leader, Deloitte India and Anish Mandal, Partner, Deloitte India, shares, 'With recent advancements in energy density, sodium-ion batteries can offer travel ranges like typical LFP batteries at a lower cost, making nearly all commercial applications more affordable.'
They add, 'Any reduction in an electric fleet's capital costs would mean higher rates of adoption, with a wider range of feasible use cases and routes.'
On the safety front, sodium-ion batteries offer two significant advantages. Firstly, some sodium-ion variants use electrolytes that are less flammable than those in lithium-ion counterparts, thereby reducing fire risks. Secondly, these batteries can be stored and transported at 0per cent state-of-charge with less degradation, while lithium-ion batteries must maintain a minimum charge in order to ensure longevity. This makes transporting sodium-ion batteries much safer.
According to S&P Global's estimates sodium-ion batteries can eventually achieve up to 28per cent lower material costs compared to lithium-ion. While the current costs remain higher due to the lithium-ion supply chain being far larger and more developed with leading players having vertically integrated supply chain. Few large global players are working on sodium-ion batteries and its application on heavy duty trucks. 'We are yet to see any commercial deployment though,' says Mahajan and Mandal.
India's Moment in Sodium-ion Battery R&D
Speaking to ETAuto, Abhinanda Sengupta, a researcher from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and winner of KPIT Shodh Awards 2025 for her thesis - Mechanistic Insights of Heteroatom-doped Layered Oxide Cathode Materials for Next-gen Na-ion Batteries, believes sodium-ion has strong potential for grid storage, heavy-load trucks, and submarines.
'Sodium is far more abundant than lithium, giving India a significant opportunity to lead in the research and development of this technology,' she notes. She also highlights sodium-ion's higher cycle life and more sustainable supply chain compared to lithium-based alternatives.
Some players claim that their second-generation sodium-ion batteries, have achieved an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, bringing them at par with most LFP batteries on the market. 'They claim to provide a 5C rate of charging, reaching from 30per cent to 80per cent charge in ten minutes, and a lifetime of more than 10,000 cycles' share Mahajan and Mandal.
However, the advancements in LFP batteries continue to increase the gap in energy density. Few players claim cell-level densities of LFPs to be around 205 Wh/kg and a super-fast charging rate of 12C (Second generation). 'NMC batteries, while more expensive, can already reach densities greater than 300 Wh/kg. With these developments, lithium-ion batteries will continue to have higher travel ranges than
sodium
ion,' they share.
Recently, a research team at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) developed a super-fast charging sodium-ion battery (SIB) based on a NASICON-type cathode and anode material. Led by scientists Prof.
Premkumar Senguttuvan
and Ph.D. scholar Biplab Patra, the SIBs can charge up to 80per cent in just six minutes and last over 3000 charge cycles. The breakthrough technology blends advanced chemistry and nanotechnology, allowing sodium-ions to move faster and more safely, enabling both speed and durability unlike the conventional SIBs that suffer from sluggish charging and short lifespan.
OEMs Weigh In: The Volvo Perspective
Sven
Wallstrom
, VP – Truck Alliances,
Volvo Group Trucks Technology
, shares at the sidelines of the recent ETAutoTech Summit 2025, 'Development of battery technologies is critical. We are working closely across the supply chain to identify the right battery technology that is not just safe but also efficient for future. We are setting up a battery plant in Sweden that speaks of our continued commitment.'
Reflecting that battery technologies might not be the best solution for all kinds of applications, he says, 'For long-haul missions, fuel cells could be a good solution.' In addition to, green hydrogen tech is another promising mobility solution for the future. 'We need to develop hydrogen storage, development and usage in the industry. It is a better technology and much more sustainable as against BEVs that need expensive technology and space as well.'
By 2040, Wallstrom envisions the truck market to be 80per cent electrified, with a mix of battery-electric and fuel-cell technologies. The remaining 20per cent will include hydrogen, LNG, and ICE-based solutions.
On the Indian market, he stresses the importance of government incentives to accelerate the shift to cleaner technologies. 'With growing infrastructure and high-speed highways, India is primed for transformation. Incentivising clean transport can replace the aging, high-emission fleets still in operation today.'
Addressing the EV Truck Weight Penalty
Sanjeev Kulkarni, CEO, BillionE, highlights on another critical aspect of slow acceptance of EVs in the trucking world and logistics sector. He shares that the EV trucks face a weight penalty of around 2 tonnes on an EV prime of 55 tonnes with a battery pack of 300 kilowatts, impacting payload capacity and making them less competitive than diesel counterparts.
'We have recommended to the government that EVs be allowed additional payload allowances based on battery size,' he says. 'This could make the transition economically viable.' Kulkarni also agrees that aggressive driving behaviour affects range and supply chain reliability. 'The industry must innovate not just for safety, but for end-to-end efficiency across performance, payload, and cost.'
According to experts, some of the challenges sodium-ion batteries may face include their inherently higher weight compared to lithium batteries, limited flexibility in being moulded into various shapes, and a still-developing supply chain.