Technology

Sodium to Debut in Small Microcars First for Mobility Applications, Reports IDTechEx

Published

10 months ago

February 12, 2024

CAMBRIDGE, England, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —

Sodium to Debut in Small Microcars First for Mobility Applications, Reports IDTechEx

Author: Shazan Siddiqi, Senior Technology Analyst at IDTechEx

Many people were surprised when HiNa revealed their lineup of sodium-ion battery cells, as well as a prototype of an electric car, in February 2023. But it had been a long time coming. The low-cost Sehol E10X microcar uses a 25 kWh battery pack made from cylindrical sodium-ion cells from HiNa. The business commissioned its first 1 GWh/year production line in December 2022. The complex will host five such lines; another for 30 GWh/year is planned, and more batteries will be manufactured under license.

Plenty of competition, like CATL, Svolt, Farasis, Lifun, DFD, Transimage, and others are currently working on their own sodium-ion batteries to be mass-produced this year. Market analysis by IDTechEx in November 2023 suggests an anticipated growth of approximately 40 GWh of SIBs alone by 2030 at a minimum, but up to an additional 100 GWh of manufacturing capacity is projected if the market is successful by 2025. The scene is set for another upset in the battery industry in the coming years, similar to the large-scale emergence of LFP in 2020.

IDTechEx anticipates that sodium-ion batteries will first penetrate the A00 vehicle segment (small, low-speed EVs) in China as they are mostly used as urban commuters and do not require an extended range. The energy density of A00 class vehicles in production is mainly concentrated between 140 and 160 Wh/kg (pack level), and the cruising range is typically under 250 km, according to IDTechEx research. Current sodium-ion batteries can largely meet these requirements, as shown in the IDTechEx report “Sodium-ion Batteries 2024-2034: Technology, Players, Markets, and Forecasts“, which benchmarks cells from various players in the market.

Very recently, a race has emerged in China to be the first to use sodium-ion cells in high-volume electric microcars, with Farasis, HiNa, and CATL announcing plans to supply sodium-ion cells to JMEV, Sehol, and Chery for use in their A00 class models respectively. A00 electric vehicle manufacturers are highly sensitive to costs, and the application of sodium-ion batteries has certain advantages. In the long run, when sodium-ion batteries can be manufactured at scale, they are expected to have a 20-30% price advantage over Li-ion batteries.

While LFP batteries have improved since 2015, what has improved even more is the engineering of battery packs. The Sehol E10X’s battery pack is air-cooled, using racks of cylindrical cells, retaining an energy density of 120 Wh/kg on the pack level. In terms of weight, this is 96% of the 125 Wh/kg energy density of the 54 kWh LFP pack in the standard range Tesla Model 3 first announced in 2020. But in terms of volume, this air-cooled pack would not be competitive. Nor do the prismatic cells from HiNa with their volumetric energy density of 263-283 Wh/L seem to be a useful replacement for LFP cells with 380-450 Wh/L at first glance. However, the engineering of cell-to-pack (CTP) battery packs has improved immensely even in the few years since they were first talked about in 2019.

CATL announced their sodium-ion batteries in 2021 alongside a prospected integration efficiency of over 80%. Such packs make even first-generation sodium-ion batteries viable as a direct replacement for older generations of cars with LFP battery packs of the early 2020s. Even based on performance, the sodium-based battery would be preferable to cars with older LFP packs. They can fast charge from 10% to 80% within 15 to 20 minutes and only lose 10% of capacity at -20°C. Sodium-ion batteries can also be fully discharged without the risk of catastrophic battery failure upon recharge, as would be the case in lithium-ion batteries due to copper current collectors in the anode.

CATL expects to sell their batteries with Prussian blue cathodes for as little as US$30/kWh to US$45/kWh in mass production due to the lower material cost of iron-based cathode and synthesis without the need for high-temperature calcination. Cells with more advanced layered oxide cathodes are widely expected to reach 200-220 Wh/kg and between 400-500 Wh/l in the next few years before the end of the decade. This will enable EVs to reach over 500 km range without the use of lithium. This will fundamentally change the battery market. However, the energy density of high nickel NMC cathodes is 20-40% higher than any known sodium-based cathodes that might be commercialized.

But this will not make sodium-ion batteries redundant. Cost matters more than energy density. It is important to remember that to this day, there is a 400 GWh/year industry for lead-acid batteries despite their low energy density of just 35 Wh/kg. Sodium-ion batteries, based only on abundant materials like sodium, iron, manganese, carbon, aluminum, and the like, are sufficient for EVs with a practical range of around 300 km — even in their current primitive form. With no constraints on critical resources, this should help alleviate many geopolitical tensions currently building up around access to battery materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite. The IDTechEx report “Sodium-ion Batteries 2024-2034: Technology, Players, Markets, and Forecasts” provides in-depth coverage of this emerging industry.

To find out more about this IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Sodium.

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

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Technology

CNN rings in 2025 from across the Asia Pacific, culminating with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen in New York

Published

13 minutes ago

December 23, 2024

HONG KONG, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CNN is gearing up for another unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration, leading its global audience into 2025 with music, laughter, and live coverage from around the world. At 7:00 AM ET, CNN kicks off its live reporting from various international cities as they ring in the new year in the Asia Pacific, with Kristie Lu Stout anchoring live from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong starting at 9:00 AM ET/10:00 PM HKT to 12:00 PM ET/1:00 AM HKT. The festivities will culminate with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen from New York City’s Times Square for an eighth consecutive year.

CNN’s line-up of international correspondents will also make appearances during the broadcast, including Lynda Kinkade from Luna Park in Sydney, Hanako Montgomery in glittering Tokyo, Mike Valerio from the iconic Bosingak Belfry in the heart of Seoul and Will Ripley overlooking the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

Joining our correspondents will be a star-studded line-up of guests from across the worlds of entertainment, fashion, arts and sports. Kristie Lu Stout has a full slate with Marie Kondo, Japanese “professional tidier”, organization expert and Konmari founder, Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, Chinese-American fashion designer Vivienne Tam, the Philippines’ double gold medalist, Carlos Yulo, viral Japanese dance troupe Avantgardey, Pakistani actor and filmmaker Usman Mukhtar, Indian-American comic Zarna Garg, and Panda keeper at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, Matt Leung.

In Australia, Lynda Kinkade chats with music legend Sting, Colin Hay from 80’s band Men at Work, fashion designer Rebecca Vallance, and actress and voice of Chilli from Bluey, Melanie Zanetti.

Thailand will provide the backdrop as Will Ripley talks to international rapper, singer, dancer and style icon, LISA, Chinese-American double gold medalist in freestyle skiing, Eileen Gu, Pakistani actress Hania Aamir and Taiwanese-American drag performer and winner of season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind.

From Japan, Hanako Montgomery speaks with K-pop superstar, TAEYANG, Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe and Japanese two-time Olympic gold medalist skateboarder, Yuto Horigome, while in Korea, Mike Valerio interviews Indonesian all-female rock trio, Voice of Baceport.

CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen begins at 8:00 PM ET, with music, comedy and some surprise guests, including Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, live from his residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain, Diplo, Lil Jon, Mickey Guyton who will perform “Imagine” live from Times Square, Patti LaBelle, and comedians Whitney Cummings, Amy Sedaris, Sasheer Zamata, Ziwe, Adam Devine, and more.

CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage will stream live on Max for subscribers and on CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps for pay TV subscribers.

About CNN Worldwide

CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals through television, streaming and online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, people across the world can watch CNN International, which is widely distributed in over 200 countries and territories. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors than any other news source. Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform, features CNN Max, a 24/7 streaming news offering available to subscribers alongside expanded access to News content and CNN Originals. CNN’s award-winning portfolio includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films for broadcast, streaming and distribution across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español channels, via CNN Max and the CNN Originals hub on discovery+ and via pay TV subscription on CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world’s most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

About Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.

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SOURCE CNN International

Technology

Incheon’s Bold Return to CES 2025: Pioneering Tomorrow’s Smart Cities

Published

13 minutes ago

December 23, 2024

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ) will make a strong comeback at CES 2025, which will be held from January 7 to 10 in Las Vegas. Under the theme “Urban Renaissance: Building Tomorrow’s Smart Cities Today,” IFEZ will showcase its smart city vision and highlight cutting-edge technologies from 41 innovative companies.

The Incheon-IFEZ pavilion in the AI Zone of the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center will spotlight ten leading Incheon-based startups specializing in AI, urban tech, and smart city solutions. Beyond the pavilion, ten companies will join the Eureka Park Korea Pavilion, six will exhibit at the Global Pavilion, and 15 more will participate as part of a broader delegation.

This extensive representation underscores Incheon’s emergence as a tech innovation hub, reflecting its global ambitions and technological prowess.

The Incheon-IFEZ pavilion promises to be more than just an exhibition space. It will transform into a dynamic networking hub where global business leaders, investors, and innovators can explore potential collaborations with Incheon-based companies.

The pavilion’s first major event, the Unveiled Incheon Media Stage, will introduce IFEZ’s forward-thinking smart city vision to international media outlets on January 7. All Connected Incheon Night will bring together global investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to foster meaningful partnerships that evening.

The momentum continues on January 8 with the IFEZ Tech Talk, featuring industry giants like LG Electronics, Lotte Innovate, and the Stanford Center at Incheon Global Campus. They will present insights into IFEZ’s smart city projects and innovation initiatives.

On January 9, the spotlight will shift to the IFEZ Showcase, a pitching competition where Incheon’s top startups will present their groundbreaking technologies to over 30 global venture capital investors. This event aims to secure international partnerships and expand market reach.

IFEZ’s continued participation at CES reflects its commitment to driving global innovation. Established in 2003 as South Korea’s first free economic zone, IFEZ encompasses Songdo, Yeongjong, and Cheongna. Designed to stimulate economic growth, its advanced infrastructure and prime location have made it a thriving business hub over the past two decades.

By participating in CES 2025, IFEZ reaffirms its dedication to fostering innovation and connecting visionary startups with the global market. The official CES 2025 Incheon-IFEZ website, www.ces2025-ifez.com, provides more details.

Media and Interview Contact

Don Southerton, CES 2025 Incheon-IFEZ
Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com
+1 310-866-3777

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SOURCE The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority

Technology

ANTA Unveils ANTAZERO UPCYCLE Collection

Published

13 minutes ago

December 23, 2024

Shanghai’s Iconic Wukang Road Hosts the Industry’s First Sustainable Sports Fashion Extravaganza

SHANGHAI, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ANTA captivated audiences with a groundbreaking sustainable sports showcase on Shanghai’s iconic Wukang Road, debuting the ANTAZERO UPCYCLE collection. Co-conceived with the sustainability platform canU and renowned Chinese creative visionaries, the collection reimagines ANTA’s surplus inventory into elevated, eco-forward designs. Melding artistry with environmental responsibility, the event underscores ANTA’s trailblazing commitment to sustainable innovation.

Set against the backdrop of ANTA’s Zero-Carbon Mission Store at 98 Wukang Road, the unconventional runway blurred boundaries between fashion, sports, and daily life. Models and influencers brought the upcycled collection to life, embodying dynamic looks for diverse scenarios—from skiing and cycling to city walk, ageless style, and pet-friendly ensembles. The spirited procession spilled into the streets, inviting onlookers to witness the harmonious fusion of sustainability, inclusivity, and sports-inspired aesthetics.

The ANTAZERO UPCYCLE collection represents a pioneering collaboration with canU and four Chinese design luminaries, each infusing their unique vision into ANTA’s inventory. The canU platform’s ethos of weaving sports into everyday life is reflected throughout the collection; CHENPENG crafts bold expressions of environmental themes using surplus down materials; SANKUANZ revitalizes inventory pieces with experimental spray-painting, breathing new emotion into existing fabrics; MEGARMENTS celebrates ANTA’s basketball heritage with intricate upcycled craftsmanship; and KAIKAI explores the aspirational ideal of 100% recycled design, pushing the boundaries of sustainability. Through their innovation, dormant inventory was transformed into wearable art, embodying a circular tenor of creativity and resourcefulness.

ANTA CEO Xu Yang has articulated a clear vision: green principles must evolve into green growth engines to achieve lasting commercial sustainability. The newly unveiled ANTAZERO UPCYCLE collection exemplifies this philosophy, repurposing surplus garments and fabrics into mass-producible, market-ready designs. By minimizing energy-intensive processes such as weaving and dyeing, the collection marries environmental responsibility with fresh, contemporary aesthetics. Offering consumers innovative, eco-conscious lifestyle choices, it underscores the seamless integration of sustainability into business strategy. As Cui Dan, ANTA’s sustainability advisor and founder of the canU sustainable platform, aptly noted, “Only when brands and industries translate sustainability into tangible products can consumers truly recognize its value.”

The ANTAZERO UPCYCLE collection is now available at ANTA’s Zero-Carbon Mission Store and via the ANTA WeChat Mini Program, providing consumers with access to a new era of sustainable fashion.

Since inaugurating its Zero-Carbon Mission Store on Earth Day, April 22, ANTA has actively celebrated global sustainability milestones, including World Oceans Day and International Panda Day. Through immersive art installations, curated exhibitions, and interactive events, ANTA has collaborated with media outlets, industry partners, and its consumer base to champion eco-consciousness. The launch of the ANTAZERO UPCYCLE collection and the resounding success of the sustainable sports fashion show serve as a crowning achievement in ANTA’s year-long sustainability efforts, addressing global environmental challenges while spotlighting the ingenuity and responsibility of Chinese sports brands.

As part of its ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, ANTA continues to pioneer sustainable solutions across product development and retail operations. According to its 2023 ESG report, nearly 20% of ANTA Group’s products are now sustainable, driven by continuous advancements in eco-friendly materials and innovative design. The brand remains dedicated to mainstreaming sustainable consumption, delivering products that seamlessly blend style, functionality, and environmental stewardship.

In 2024, ANTA Group retained its top position in China’s sports industry on the “Green Supply Chain CITI Index”, published by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE), for the second consecutive year. Looking ahead, ANTA reaffirms its commitment to sustainability, leveraging innovation to fuel green growth. By offering sustainable products and services to a global audience and spearheading the eco-transformation of its supply chain, ANTA is forging a path toward a low-carbon future in collaboration with consumers and partners alike.

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SOURCE ANTA Group