FAW Jiefang and Chinese sodium-ion battery maker Hina Battery have completed a nearly seven-month road trial of a heavy-duty truck equipped with a sodium-ion battery, logging more than 15,000 kilometers under a range of real-world operating conditions. The trial centered on the Jiefang J6P battery-electric tractor fitted with a 339-kWh sodium-ion battery pack.
According to FAW Jiefang, the tests included bench trials, vehicle reliability assessments, power-performance evaluations and extreme temperature exposure. In cold-weather trials at –40 °C, the sodium-ion battery retained over 90 percent of its usable capacity, demonstrating suitability for freight operations in China’s northeast and northwest regions. Under fast-charging conditions, the truck can reach full charge in 20 to 25 minutes, and the battery has achieved more than 8,000 charge–discharge cycles, surpassing conventional industry standards for heavy-duty applications.
FAW Jiefang noted that the chemical system of the sodium-ion materials offers milder reactivity and robust thermal stability, aligning with the high-frequency, heavy-load demands of commercial trucking. The tests fully validated the truck’s operating-condition adaptability, running quality and overall safety when equipped with sodium-ion batteries.
The trial represents a significant step in efforts to diversify new-energy solutions away from lithium-ion technology. Hina Battery general manager Li Shujun has predicted that sodium-ion battery costs could converge with lithium-ion by 2027 or 2028, as sodium-ion materials fall in price while lithium costs rise. Major battery manufacturers are moving quickly: one company plans to invest 5 billion yuan to establish 40 GWh of sodium-ion production capacity in Fujian, and it also secured a 60 GWh sodium-ion order for energy-storage applications. Another automaker has reported a sodium-ion battery with a 10,000-cycle lifespan, and a state-owned group has unveiled prototype cells exceeding 170 Wh/kg in energy density.
Looking ahead, FAW Jiefang says it will continue refining its new-energy heavy-truck lineup and advancing related technologies to support the green, low-carbon transition of the logistics industry.
Source: CNEV Post
