China’s CATL is testing new sodium-ion EV batteries designed to operate in extreme cold, with plans to send test vehicles to Antarctica to prove performance at temperatures as low as -50°C.⁣ ⁣ The push comes as growth in China’s EV adoption slows, with penetration in new car sales rising by just 6.3 percentage points in 2025 — the weakest increase in five years, according to the China Passenger Car Association.⁣ ⁣ EV sales remain concentrated in milder coastal and developed cities, while only a handful of top-selling EV markets are in northern regions such as Heilongjiang, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, where winter temperatures can drop to -40°C.⁣ ⁣ CATL says sodium-ion batteries lose far less capacity in freezing conditions than lithium-ion and are ready for mass production, with Changan already launching models using the technology. ⁣ ⁣ The chemistry could also reduce costs by removing the need for lithium, cobalt and nickel, though energy density remains lower than current lithium-ba...