Chinese battery manufacturing giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) introduced its new Tianxing II battery series for light commercial vehicles on January 22, 2026. The standout of the lineup is the low-temperature sodium-ion version, marking the first mass-produced sodium-ion battery in the industry.
The sodium-ion battery pack offers a capacity of 45 kWh, an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, and an impressive cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles. It is also the first battery globally to be certified under China’s new GB 38031-2025 national safety standard. Designed specifically for small vans, microvans, and light trucks, this battery targets commercial vehicles operating in demanding environments.
One of its biggest advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries is exceptional cold-weather performance. Even in extreme conditions as low as -40°C, the battery retains 90% of its usable capacity. It can also be charged immediately when completely frozen at -30°C, effectively eliminating the winter-related operational issues that plague electric commercial vehicles in colder regions.
Beyond performance, sodium-ion technology brings major cost benefits. Sodium is more than 1,000 times more abundant than lithium in the Earth’s crust, and its extraction costs are roughly one-twentieth that of lithium. Over time, this is expected to significantly reduce battery costs and improve the economic viability of light commercial electric vehicles.
In addition to the sodium-ion model, the Tianxing II series includes three lithium-ion variants, each tailored to specific commercial use cases:
– Fast-Charging Version: Equipped with high-rate charging technology, this version can charge from 20% to 80% in just 18 minutes. For a typical 100 kWh electric vehicle, a single fast-charging session can add around 150 kilometers of driving range.
– Long-Range Version: Setting a new benchmark for light commercial vehicles, this variant features a single-pack capacity of up to 253 kWh and delivers a maximum range of 800 kilometers. Designed for long-distance intercity logistics, it uses CATL’s Taishan pack architecture, reducing vehicle weight by approximately 260 kg compared to conventional batteries of similar capacity. This translates into higher payload capacity and lower energy consumption.
Aimed at last-mile delivery fleets and self-owned commercial vehicles in hot climates, this version uses a customized liquid-cooling thermal management system. It ensures stable fast-charging performance and long battery life even in high-temperature environments, making it ideal for short-distance, high-frequency operations such as supermarket deliveries and community distribution.
The Tianxing brand, launched by CATL in July 2024, is dedicated exclusively to commercial vehicle batteries. With the Tianxing II series, CATL is clearly pushing the boundaries of battery technology—especially with sodium-ion chemistry—while addressing real-world challenges faced by commercial electric vehicles.
[source: CarNewsChina]
