A shock has just hit the global battery industry. Tesla – led by Elon Musk – is said to have made a spectacular breakthrough with sodium-ion battery technology, threatening to completely overthrow the monopoly position of lithium-ion. And if everything is true as recently leaked, the revolution of cheap electric vehicles is starting right now.

From “underdog” to “new star” of energy
Sodium-ion (sodium-ion) was once considered an underdog battery technology, just a “backup plan” for lithium. But a breakthrough led by Spencer Gore, former Tesla engineer and CEO of Bedrock Materials, has changed the game. His new sodium battery technology can provide a range of up to 300 miles (nearly 500km) at a much lower cost than the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries – the type commonly used by Tesla.

Tesla’s goal? An EV under $25,000 – and sodium-ion is the missing piece.

Why is Elon Musk betting on sodium-ion?

✅ Super cheap:
Sodium-ion batteries cost only about $40–80/kWh to produce, much lower than the $120/kWh of lithium batteries. This is extremely important to bring the price of EVs below $25,000 – the dream of mass electric vehicles.

✅ Abundant resources, easy to exploit:
Sodium is 500 to 1,000 times more common than lithium, and can be mined from seawater, common minerals or soda ash (of which the US alone has 47 billion tons). No more worries about the scarce supply chain and heavy environmental impact like lithium.

✅ Superior safety:
Sodium-ion is less likely to explode (thermal runaway), more resistant to cold, and retains up to 88% of its capacity in frozen environments – a major weakness of LFP batteries.

✅ “Unbelievable” fast charging speed:
According to reports, sodium-ion can charge 10 times faster than current lithium-ion batteries, greatly reducing waiting times.

But… Sodium-ion is not perfect
No technology is without its challenges. The energy density of sodium-ion batteries is still lower than lithium: only 75–160 Wh/kg compared to 120–260 Wh/kg for lithium-ion batteries. That means: heavier batteries, more suitable for urban vehicles, cheaper – not enough “muscle” for high-performance supercars.

Even Gore admits: a sodium-ion battery pack can weigh as much as an adult passenger – a reasonable trade-off if the price is cheap.

Tesla is ready for the transition
Since 2020, Tesla has introduced the 4680 battery cell – a modular battery that can be customized to incorporate a variety of chemistries, including sodium-ion.

Not only that, a strategic partnership with Professor Jeff Dahn – head of the battery research group at Dalhousie University – is helping Tesla make strong progress in:

Increasing energy density

Reducing costs

Extending the life of sodium batteries

Recently, a sodium-ion battery prototype has demonstrated the ability to maintain sustainable performance throughout harsh charge-discharge cycles, without losing capacity.

Is the lithium nightmare coming?

While lithium prices are forecast to increase fivefold by 2030, the cost of sodium is only $4/kWh – 10 times cheaper. Moreover, sodium battery production requires dryness, but Tesla is ready to invest in a dedicated “dry room” production line.

Some of the challenges, such as the high solubility of sodium salts (which degrade the electrolyte), are being overcome with new technology – something that Elon Musk and his Tesla engineering team are not shy about pursuing.

Is the future of affordable electric vehicles starting… with sodium?

With EV prices still hovering around $60,000–$80,000, plus $5,000 for a home charger, an EV under $25,000 powered by sodium batteries could be a breakthrough in the popularization of clean transportation. Tesla is aiming to popularize electric vehicles, just as the iPhone popularized smartphones.

In fact, with recent tests, Tesla has developed a battery that can run 3.7 million kilometers – equivalent to 100 years of normal use. It is no longer a theory, it is a reality – a step that will rewrite the entire definition of EV lifespan.

Conclusion: Elon Musk isn’t just killing lithium – he’s redrawing the energy map
With its sodium-ion breakthroughs, Tesla isn’t just getting ahead of the market – it’s creating a new one. Lithium won’t disappear entirely, but in a world where electric vehicles need to be cheaper, more durable, safer and less dependent on it – sodium-ion is the ultimate weapon.