Stellantis invests in Tiamat sodium-ion

Aluminum-sulfur, iron-phosphate, nickel-hydride, solid-state, redox flow, molten-salt, the growing list of potential alternatives to lithium-ion batteries has exploded onto the scene in the past few years as experts quickly determined a single battery technology could not withstand the torrent of technologies vital to power a future of clean, sustainable energy. One of the most promising contenders is sodium-ion batteries, and with support from automaker giant Stellantis, it could quickly become a reality.

The strong ionizing power of sodium is something that has long held attention from scientists, especially a research team out of Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, as they have determined that while sodium-ion batteries have slightly lower energy density than their lithium-ion counterparts, the abundance of salt vastly swings this future technology in favor of mass adoption.

"The materials we use in the batteries of the future will be important in order to be able to switch to renewable energy and a fossil-free vehicle fleet," said Rickard Arvidsson, associate professor of environmental systems analysis at Chalmers.

Sodium to bypass bottleneck

In their present form, sodium-ion batteries are best suited for stationary energy storage to be used in the electricity grid. With further development, they can be expected to be used in EVs, and that is exactly what Stellantis, the manufacturer of Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Peugeot, and many others, hopes to achieve.

The major advantage sodium-ion has is that its namesake is abundant and can be found all over the world.

The salty alternative to lithium-ion has sodium ions as the charge carrier, rather than lithium, in one of the batteries' electrodes – the cathode – while the other electrode – the anode – consists of much the same material in standard batteries, hard carbon, like graphite or potentially graphene.

Seeking alternatives even for this anode material, Chalmers has also investigated replacing this source of carbon with biomass produced by the forestry industry.

"Lithium-ion batteries are becoming a dominant technology in the world, and they are better for the climate than fossil-based technology is, especially when it comes to transport," the Chalmers professor added. "But lithium poses a bottleneck. You can't produce lithium-based batteries at the same rate as you want to produce electric cars, and the deposits risk being depleted in the long term."

Hoping to get ahead of the bottleneck before it backs up and even competitors by targeting an alternate technology for its future EVs, Stellantis has strategically invested in Tiamat SAS, which is developing and commercializing sodium-ion technology.

Investing in sodium-ion

One of 11 top-performing technology startups honored with a Stellantis Ventures Award last year, Tiamat is purportedly the first company in the world to have recently commercialized sodium-ion technology in an electrified product.

The award and financial support of Tiamet is part of Stellantis' mission to provide clean, safe, and affordable mobility to its customers around the world.

"Exploring new options for more sustainable and affordable batteries that use widely available raw materials is a key part of our ambitions of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan that will see us reach carbon net zero by 2038," said Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer Ned Curic. "Our customers are asking for emissions-free vehicles that offer a combination of robust driving range, performance and affordability."

Offering a lower cost per kilowatt-hour while simultaneously being free from lithium and cobalt, French-based Tiamat has been pursuing sodium electrical technologies as far back as 2017, even before this renewable energy transition truly kicked off.

Spun out from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, the company was named after an ancient Mesopotamian goddess that represented the sea – which, of course, contains most of the world's sodium.

The startup is now using the proceeds from a fundraising round that includes Stellantis Ventures to launch the construction of a plant in France that will first produce sodium-ion batteries for power tools and stationary storage applications and then plans to scale up to batteries for EV applications.

Hoping to set in motion contingencies for its Dare Forward 2030 sustainability roadmap, Stellantis has taken yet another step in supporting that aspiration.

"This is our North Star, as Stellantis and its partners work today to develop ground-breaking technologies for the future," said Curic.