KATHMANDU: Changan Automobile and battery giant CATL have unveiled the world’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery-powered passenger vehicle, marking a major milestone in electric vehicle technology, according to Chinese media reports.
The announcement was made during the “Changan SDA Intelligence Milestone Release & Sodium-Ion Battery Global Strategy Launch”, where Changan also introduced the Nevo A06 globally.
The sedan is powered by CATL’s newly developed Naxtra sodium-ion battery.
The Changan Nevo A06 uses a 45 kWh sodium-ion battery, offering an initial driving range of over 400 km on a single charge.
At the technical level, the Naxtra battery is integrated with CATL’s third-generation CTP (Cell-to-Pack) technology, delivering a cell energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg.
In safety tests exceeding national standards, the battery showed no smoke, fire, or explosion during extreme abuse scenarios, including drilling, extrusion, and sawing while fully charged. CATL stated that the battery continued to discharge normally even after being cut.
Changan has confirmed that its brands; including Avatr, Deepal, Nevo, and Uni will gradually adopt CATL’s sodium-ion batteries in future models.
CATL also projects that with further development, pure electric sodium-ion vehicles could achieve 500-600 km range, while extended-range hybrids may exceed 300 km.
In Nepal, Changan vehicles are imported by MAW Vriddhi Autocorp,
