Clarios Sodium-Ion Battery Technology Advances to –40°C

Clarios Advances Sodium-Ion Battery Development to –40°C

Clarios sodium-ion battery technology has reached a new validation milestone through work conducted with Altris and InoBat, with testing extending cold-cranking capability to temperatures as low as –40°C. Announced on September 14, the progress covers both internal testing and customer evaluations involving automotive, commercial vehicle, and intralogistics applications. The results build on previously communicated performance levels and demonstrate continued development of sodium-ion technology for low-voltage and high-power uses. The program brings together Clarios for battery-system integration and industrialization, Altris for sodium-ion expertise, and InoBat for cell development and manufacturing capabilities.

Collaboration Combines Battery Development Capabilities

The collaboration is structured around complementary technical and industrial capabilities from the three companies. Clarios contributes battery-system integration and industrialization experience, while Altris provides expertise in sodium-ion battery technology and InoBat contributes cell-development and manufacturing know-how. Validation has included internal testing alongside evaluations by customers across several application areas, including automotive, commercial vehicles, and intralogistics. This combination allows the program to assess the technology beyond cell-level development by considering system integration, application requirements, customer evaluation, and the practical steps needed to advance the technology toward industrial deployment.

Program Moves Toward Pilot-Scale Learning

Following the latest testing results, the program is moving beyond prototype development toward pilot-scale learning and preparation for small-series production. This represents a shift from validating the technology at the development stage toward activities focused on product maturation and production readiness. The next phase will be conducted at InoBat’s Volta facility in Slovakia, which provides an established setting for further development work. The facility will support product maturation, customer evaluations, and activities aimed at assessing industrialization readiness as the partners continue advancing the sodium-ion program.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The move toward pilot-scale learning and small-series production readiness gives sodium-ion battery development a more direct pathway toward practical low-voltage and high-power applications. Extending cold-cranking capability to –40°C is particularly relevant to applications that require battery performance in severe cold conditions, while customer evaluations provide additional validation across automotive, commercial vehicle, and intralogistics use cases. The use of InoBat’s Volta facility also shifts the program toward product maturation and industrialization activities, making the next phase important for determining how the technology performs as development progresses from prototypes toward production-oriented learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What milestone has the sodium-ion battery program achieved?
The program has extended cold-cranking capability to temperatures as low as –40°C through recent validation work. The testing involved both internal assessments and customer evaluations across automotive, commercial vehicle, and intralogistics applications. Clarios, Altris, and InoBat are combining their respective expertise in battery-system integration, sodium-ion technology, cell development, and manufacturing. Following the latest results, the collaboration is progressing beyond prototype development toward pilot-scale learning and preparation for small-series production readiness at InoBat’s Volta facility in Slovakia.