KATHMANDU: CATL has officially unveiled its Tianxing II battery series for light commercial vehicles. The launch took place on January 22, 2026.
The key highlight is the low-temperature version. It is the world’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery for commercial use.
The battery has a capacity of 45 kWh. It offers an energy density of 175 Wh/kg. The cycle life exceeds 10,000 charge cycles.
This battery is certified under China’s new GB 38031-2025 national safety standard. It is designed for small vans, micro vans, and light trucks.
Cold-weather performance is a major advantage. At -40°C, the battery retains 90 percent usable capacity. It can also be charged immediately at -30°C, even when fully frozen.
Sodium is far more abundant than lithium. It is over 1,000 times more available in the earth’s crust. Extraction costs are about 20 times lower than lithium, helping reduce long-term battery costs.
Alongside the sodium-ion version, CATL introduced three lithium-ion variants in the Tianxing II lineup.
The Fast-Charging Version can charge from 20 to 80 percent in 18 minutes. In a 100 kWh vehicle, a single fast charge adds around 150 km of range.
The Long-Range Version offers a single-pack capacity of 253 kWh. It delivers a maximum driving range of up to 800 km. The design targets inter-city logistics operations.
With CATL’s Taishan pack architecture, vehicle weight is reduced by about 260 kg. This improves payload capacity and lowers energy consumption.
The High-Temperature Fast-Charging Version is built for hot climates. It uses a dedicated liquid cooling system. The battery maintains stable fast-charging performance in high heat.
This version is aimed at last-mile delivery and high-frequency urban use. Typical applications include supermarkets and community distribution.
CATL launched the Tianxing brand for commercial vehicles in July 2024.
