Study Predicts Sodium-Ion Battery Costs to Fall Faster than Lithium-Ion by 2050
By 2050, sodium-ion batteries are expected to be cheaper than lithium-ion counterparts, according to a study by researchers from Lappeenranta University of Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and University of Alcalá. The study, to be published in the Journal of Energy Storage, predicts that sodium-ion battery costs will decrease more rapidly than lithium-ion systems due to growing applications and reduced dependency on lithium and critical metals.
Current lithium-ion batteries dominate the market but rely on costly materials. By 2050, capital expenditure (CAPEX) for batteries is projected to drop to €30-50/kWh from €116 in 2023, a decline of 50-75%. Researchers estimate that by 2035, sodium-ion battery cell prices will be €78.9/kWh compared to €92.9 in 2023, while lithium iron phosphate (LFP) will be €82.2, down from €93.3.
