Volts What's the deal with sodium-ion batteries?
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Sep 3, 2025 Landon Mossburg, CEO of Peak Energy and former leader at Tesla and Northvolt, discusses the exciting world of sodium-ion batteries. These batteries offer longer life and lower costs compared to their lithium-ion counterparts, thanks to innovative passive cooling designs. Mossburg also highlights the chance for the U.S. to enter the battery market and compete geopolitically, especially against China. He delves into the economic benefits, safety, and environmental impact of sodium-ion technology, showcasing its potential to transform energy storage.
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Passive Cooling Cuts OPEX And Risk
- Peak's sodium-ion system avoids active water-based cooling used in LFP systems which drives much of auxiliary power and maintenance.
- Removing active cooling reduces operating cost, failure modes, and safety risks from cooling leaks and pump/fan failures.
Chemistry Gives Thermal Stability
- NFPP hard carbon chemistry tolerates higher temperatures and exhibits fewer degradation mechanisms than LFP.
- This chemistry shows reduced graphite exfoliation and nearly undetectable iron dissolution, improving longevity.
No Moving Parts At Grid Scale
- Peak's grid system is fully passively cooled with no moving parts, reducing points of mechanical failure.
- The first grid-connected passive sodium-ion installation is being built in Denver to validate the approach at scale.