--- title: "US start-ups seek to break China’s grip on sodium-ion battery supply" publisher: "Stockmark.IT" author: "Stockmark.IT Website" published: "2026-10-01T05:22:22+00:00" modified: "2026-10-01T05:22:22+00:00" date: 2026-10-01 canonical: "https://stockmark.it/the-start-ups-hoping-to-return-battery-making-to-the-us/" category: "China" categories: ["China", "Companies", "Manufacturing", "Trading", "US"] image: "https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/us-start-ups-seek-to-break-china-s-grip-on-sodium-ion.png?fit=1536%2C1024&quality=80&ssl=1" format: "news" language: "en-GB" --- # US start-ups seek to break China’s grip on sodium-ion battery supply **Published:** October 1, 2026 **Author:** Stockmark.IT Website **Categories:** China, Companies, Manufacturing, Trading, US **Featured image:** ![US start-ups seek to break China's grip on sodium-ion battery supply](https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/us-start-ups-seek-to-break-china-s-grip-on-sodium-ion.png?fit=1536%2C1024&quality=80&ssl=1) --- A surge in demand for battery storage systems across Europe during recent heatwaves has highlighted the growing commercial viability of sodium-ion technology. San Diego-based Unigrid, a manufacturer of residential energy storage, reported a significant increase in enquiries from homeowners in Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. These consumers sought to store grid power at lower rates to operate air conditioning units more affordably during peak heat. Darren Tan, the company’s co-founder and chief executive, stated that the firm has shipped its first 100 units and anticipates dispatching 1,000 before the end of the year. This uptick in interest underscores a broader industry shift towards alternative battery chemistries that offer distinct economic and safety advantages over traditional lithium-ion devices. Sodium-ion batteries have attracted considerable attention from energy storage experts due to their potential for lower manufacturing and operational costs. Unlike lithium-ion counterparts, sodium-ion devices are considered less prone to fire and capable of functioning across a wider temperature range, including extremes as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius. However, the sector faces significant challenges. China currently leads global manufacturing in this field, creating a competitive hurdle for US-based firms. Additionally, there is ongoing debate regarding the optimal and safest design for these batteries, with several American companies in the space having struggled in recent years. The primary objective for US competitors is to establish a domestic supply chain using 100% US-sourced materials, a feat not yet achieved in the lithium-ion sector where China dominates both materials supply and production. Unigrid’s current product utilises sodium-ion cells manufactured in China, although Tan indicated the company can switch suppliers as US-based options become available. A point of contention involves the battery’s cathode, which contains chromium-3. Prof Dame Clare Grey of the University of Cambridge, co-founder of Nyobolt, cautioned that under specific conditions, chromium-3 can transform into chromium-6, a toxic and carcinogenic substance. She advised against including elements that raise safety concerns in products marketed for their safety. Conversely, Ivana Hasa of the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick noted that while the transformation is possible at very high charge states, it can be mitigated through voltage control. Tan dismissed toxicity concerns as overblown, asserting that third-party tests have failed to generate chromium-6 even under extreme overcharging conditions. He emphasised that the battery has passed European safety certifications and is undergoing similar evaluations for the US market. The choice of cathode material and electrolyte formulation are critical to the performance and longevity of sodium-ion batteries. While some manufacturers use chromium, others employ hard carbon or sodium iron phosphate pyrophosphate. Confidence in the reliability of this technology has grown, leading to its adoption in grid storage applications. Currently, Unigrid’s batteries are priced at approximately $100 per kilowatt hour, compared to $81 for lithium iron phosphate batteries as of last December. Although some industry figures suggest costs could drop to $30 per kilowatt hour, analysts indicate such reductions may be years away. Furthermore, sodium-ion batteries are less energy-dense than lithium-ion, requiring larger and heavier units for equivalent power output, which limits their suitability for small devices like smartphones but favours large-scale storage solutions. David Bell, chief executive of Seattle-based Emerald Battery Labs, predicted that sodium-ion technology will capture 80% of the market. His company is developing 12-volt auxiliary batteries for vehicles, currently supplied to commercial fleets in the US, while also relying on China-sourced cells. Bell stated the firm aims to develop new anodes for US-produced cells. Similarly, Peak Energy, based in California and Colorado, announced a partnership with General Motors in June to develop a US supply chain for grid-scale storage. Cameron Dales, Peak Energy’s president, said the company hopes to help launch a US production facility in Michigan by the end of 2028, arguing that China does not hold an insurmountable lead. The rising electricity demand from data centres, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, is seen as a key driver for this technology. Drew Buckley of ESS Tech noted that sodium-ion batteries could help distribute renewable energy to data centres more cheaply than lithium-ion alternatives, as they require less cooling. ESS Tech is collaborating with Alsym, which plans to ship hundreds of megawatt hours of US-made sodium-ion batteries by 2027. Despite the optimism, experts warn that establishing mass production remains challenging and that fire risk, while lower, is not entirely absent. --- **Original URL:** https://stockmark.it/the-start-ups-hoping-to-return-battery-making-to-the-us/ *Created by [WP Markdown Endpoint](https://wpmarkdownendpoint.com/)*