March 14, 2024
2025 Sodium Battery Two-Wheeler Market: Opportunities & Challenges
In recent years, the electric motorcycle market has experienced rapid growth, and sodium-ion batteries, as an emerging battery technology, are gradually becoming the focus of attention in the market. Especially in the two-wheeled vehicle sector, the development of sodium batteries brings new opportunities and challenges. This article will deeply analyze the status, trends, manufacturer dynamics, and potential development prospects of the sodium battery two-wheeler market in 2025.
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Overview of the sodium battery market
The global sodium battery market witnessed explosive growth in 2024, with shipments reaching 3.6 GWh, a year-on-year increase of 260%. Behind this growth, the energy storage sector (ESS) became the largest driving force with a 61% share, while the light-duty power market (including two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles) exhibited a stronger explosive growth rate of 367%.
Entering 2025, as the maturity of the industrial chain increases, policy support strengthens, and globalization accelerates, the sodium battery two-wheeled vehicle market is transforming from “demonstration pilots” to “scaled applications,” becoming an important growth pole in the field of new energy transportation.
- In 2024, global shipments of light-duty sodium batteries reached 0.7 GWh, accounting for 19% of the sodium battery market, with the highest growth rate;
- In 2025, global sodium battery shipments are expected to reach 23.1 GWh, a year-on-year increase of 542%, with light-duty power expected to exceed 25%;
- The market size of the two-wheeled vehicle battery swapping market is expected to exceed 32.85 billion yuan in 2025, with a rapid increase in sodium battery penetration.
Technical advantages of sodium batteries
Sodium batteries possess inherent advantages in the electric two-wheeled vehicle field:
- High safety: Thermal stability is superior to lithium batteries, avoiding fire risks, suitable for urban high-frequency usage scenarios;
- Fast charging performance: Supports quick replenishment in 15 minutes, perfectly compatible with battery swapping modes;
- Low-temperature tolerance: Retains over 85% capacity at -20°C, suitable for colder winter markets;
- Cost potential: Raw materials (abundant sodium resources) and process costs are lower than lithium batteries, and price advantages will become more evident after scaling. These characteristics make sodium batteries highly competitive in the market, particularly in urban traffic-dense applications with high battery performance requirements.
Three major advantages of sodium replacing lead-acid
- Range: Sodium battery energy density (120-140 Wh/kg) far exceeds that of lead-acid (30-50 Wh/kg);
- Cycle life: Sodium batteries can reach 2000 cycles, while lead-acid batteries only achieve 300 cycles;
- Environmentally friendly: The pollution problems of lead-acid battery recycling are serious, while sodium batteries align better with ESG trends.
Current status & opportunities in the sodium battery two-wheeler market
The push from the delivery and express industry
With the rapid development of the delivery and express industries, demand for electric two-wheeled vehicles has surged. Electric two-wheelers using swappable battery have a clear advantage in charging efficiency, helping delivery riders and couriers reduce replenishment time and improve delivery efficiency. Policy support has also provided strong assurance for the development of the entire market.
In August 2024, five Chinese departments jointly promoted the “swap instead of charge” model, with local governments accelerating implementation:
- Shenzhen: Plans to achieve full coverage of electric bicycle charging and swapping cabinets by 2025;
- Beijing: Prioritizes the promotion of battery swapping models and expands the layout of swapping cabinets;
- Zhejiang: Initiates an “swap instead of charge” plan for delivery riders, covering over 500,000 riders.
With policy support, the battery swapping model has shifted from “optional” to “essential,” and sodium batteries, with their performance advantages, have become a core option for upgrading swapping cabinets, creating a favorable environment for the market promotion of sodium battery two-wheeled vehicles.
Application potential of sodium batteries in battery swapping models
Sodium batteries show good adaptability in battery swapping models due to their fast charging and high safety. Currently, the market’s battery swapping cabinets mainly consist of lead-acid and lithium batteries, while the inclusion of sodium batteries injects new vitality into the market. According to forecasts, the market size of the electric bicycle battery swapping industry is expected to exceed 32.85 billion yuan by 2025.
Restructuring of market patterns through battery swapping models
As market potential emerges, more and more companies are beginning to layout the sodium battery two-wheeled vehicle market. Companies such as Zoolnasm, Yadea, and Chilwee have successively launched related products and implemented battery swapping projects.
Leading companies are intensively laying out the industry
Battery manufacturers: Zoolnasm, Qnas, etc., have launched standardized 48V20Ah battery packs compatible with mainstream two-wheeled models;
Complete vehicle brands: Yadea (Ji Na No. 1), Tailg (Duoguan series) have launched sodium battery models, with sales accounting for over 10% in 2024;
Battery swapping operators: Paragonage, Chilwee, etc., are building sodium battery swapping network covering pilot cities such as Shenzhen and Wuxi.
Innovation in business models
Separation of vehicle and battery: Users purchase bare vehicles and lease batteries, lowering initial purchase costs (Yadea Feiyue FN5 Lite’s price reduced by 20%);
Intelligent battery swapping network: BYD pilots an integrated system of “vehicle-cabinet-battery,” achieving remote monitoring and dynamic allocation of battery status.
Global opportunities: Sodium battery replacement tide in Southeast Asia
Market potential: window period for electrification transition
Southeast Asia is the largest two-wheeled vehicle market globally (with over 200 million vehicles), but the electrification penetration rate is less than 3%. With policy catalysis, demand is expected to explode:
- Indonesia: Targeting 1.8 million electric motorcycles by 2025, with subsidies of 3,200 yuan per vehicle;
- Vietnam: Ban on the sale of fuel motorcycles in major cities by 2030;
- Thailand: Daily demand for electric motorcycles in Bangkok exceeds 5 million rides.
Chinese companies are seizing the opportunity for layout
- Local production: Yadea’s Vietnamese factory has an annual production capacity of 2 million units, quickly transitioning to sodium battery production lines;
- Technical output: Zn-energy collaborates with Wuling in Indonesia to develop a 72V50Ah electric motorcycle battery module;
- Ecosystem co-construction: Qnas partners with Hongji Smart to develop sodium battery energy storage and swapping systems covering Southeast Asian logistics scenarios.
Market challenges for sodium batteries
Despite the excellent performance of sodium batteries, there are still challenges in comprehensive promotion.
Technical bottlenecks: Sodium battery technology is still in the development stage compared to lithium batteries; the current sodium battery energy density (140 Wh/kg) is still below lithium iron phosphate (160-180 Wh/kg).
Market awareness: The market’s awareness and acceptance need to be improved. Some users, such as those in Southeast Asia, have low acceptance of sodium battery technology, requiring demonstration projects (like Yadea’s sodium battery swapping station in Vietnam) and localized marketing (such as short video education and rider experience activities) to break through awareness barriers.
Construction of charging infrastructure: Currently, the coverage of battery swapping cabinets and charging facilities is still low, especially in some second- and third-tier cities, posing barriers to the promotion of sodium batteries. In the future, collaboration between governments and enterprises to increase investment in infrastructure construction is needed.
Cost issues: The production cost of sodium batteries is still higher than traditional lead-acid batteries, which may impact their market competitiveness in the short term. As technology evolves and production scales expand, future cost issues are expected to be resolved.
Outlook for the sodium battery two-wheeler market in 2025
In 2025, the sodium battery two-wheeled vehicle market will exhibit three major trends:
- Accelerated technological iteration: Pseudocapacitor positive electrodes and biomass hard carbon negative electrodes become mainstream solutions, with energy density exceeding 150 Wh/kg;
- Expansion of the battery swapping network: China’s battery swapping cabinet coverage reaches 60%, and Southeast Asia establishes over 5,000 sodium battery swapping stations;
- Accelerated globalization replacement: The penetration rate of sodium batteries in the Southeast Asian light vehicle market exceeds 10%, replacing over 2 million lead-acid batteries.
Conclusion
The sodium battery two-wheeler market is gradually taking shape, facing rapid growth opportunities and challenges. With policy promotion, market demand release, and technological advancement, sodium batteries are poised to play a significant role in the future electric two-wheeler market.
For enterprises, seizing this opportunity, improving products and services, and expanding the market will be key to achieving sustained growth. Only by adapting to market changes and embracing challenges can one gain an advantage in the future electric vehicle market.
Who we are
Tycorun, a prominent player in the battery-swapping industry, specializes in developing and manufacturing battery swap station and lithium-ion batteries. The company aims to offer sustainable energy solutions for electric vehicles.
Tycorun has made significant inroads into the Chinese market, primarily targeting urban regions where the need for electric two-wheelers is substantial. The company consistently allocates resources to research and development to improve its battery technology and broaden its network of swapping stations.
The battery swapping stations created by Tycorun are both user-friendly and efficient. Their lithium-ion batteries are renowned for their high energy density and long-lasting performance, suitable for different models of electric two-wheelers. Additionally, Tycorun offers comprehensive software solutions for monitoring and managing our batteries.
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Willow
Willow is a materials engineer with a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, specializing in lithium-ion battery materials and energy storage technologies.
Her work focuses on EV battery swapping solutions, battery innovation, and new energy industry trends, aiming to translate research insights into practical applications for sustainable transportation.
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