Sodium based batteries are being positioned as a cheaper and safer alternative to existing lithium ion technology, with momentum building toward wider deployment in vehicles and grid scale energy storage. Interest is rising as sodium ion batteries are starting to move from the lab and early pilots into real world uses, including their first appearances in cars and in large energy storage arrays connected to electricity systems.
Sodium ion batteries have been selected as one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026, signaling that the technology has reached an inflection point in both technical maturity and commercial relevance. The focus is on why 2026 is expected to be a key year, with attention to how sodium ion cells could help address cost pressures, safety concerns, and material supply constraints that face lithium ion batteries, especially as demand for energy storage grows across transportation and the power grid.
A recorded roundtable discussion, featuring science editor Mary Beth Griggs, senior climate reporter Casey Crownhart, and China reporter Caiwei Chen, examines the current status of sodium ion batteries and what is coming next in their development and deployment. The conversation, recorded on February 25, 2026, connects this technology to broader trends in electric vehicles, grid storage, and climate technology, and references related coverage on sodium ion breakthroughs, the future of electric vehicle batteries, emerging niches for new battery chemistries, and efforts such as HiNa Battery Technology’s push to commercialize salt based cells.
