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Sodium-ion battery start-ups aim to revive US battery making
Unigrid, a San Diego-based company, said it has shipped 100 units and expects to ship 1,000 before year end.
BBC Business reports that as heatwaves hit Europe, demand rose for a US home battery that can store electricity for later use when grid power is more expensive.
The outlet said San Diego-based Unigrid sells a nine kilowatt-hour sodium-ion battery for residential energy storage, and that sweltering European homeowners have shown interest in keeping air conditioning running during peak heat hours.
According to BBC Business, Unigrid’s chief executive Darren Tan said the company has shipped the first 100 units and expects to ship 1,000 before the end of the year, with requests coming from countries including Spain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
BBC Business added that sodium-ion batteries use sodium instead of lithium, and could be cheaper to build and operate while offering safety and temperature-range advantages, though designs still face debate over what is best and safest.