sodium battery / solid state battery in future cars?

BYD also have the blade V2 battery rolling into their cars but I'm guessing that alone will take a couple of years. And I would personally think that'd happen before totally new battery formulations make it to the mainstream. I just don't see the savings being passed on massively - I've owned a Tiguan, currently out household has a 22 Model 3 RWD and a new SL7 so we are in a similar position and pulled the trigger (novated lease made it compelling) I don't know how much EVs will get cheaper in Australia. They're already so affordable and I feel are almost being sold at a loss to gain market share. Other markets might be different. SL7 in the UK is so expensive!

LFP batteries are already incredibly safe compared to the NMC batteries in other cars. In saying that, the Sodium Ion batteries will have a lower energy density, so the batteries will be bigger which means less mileage due to size and weight. Technology is constantly evolving in the battery industry so I have no doubt this will improve dramatically. The battery system we designed for mobile equipment at work is 1.9MWh and before the battery was even in production it was 5 generations out of date. Solid state batteries are still way too expensive to be viable, but once they work that out it will more than likely go down that route from what I can see.

SL7 is expensive in Europe cos there's tariff and also they needed a bigger battery (weather conditions), but I didn't know there's V2 battery. And yes! We are thinking of getting a SL7 with novated lease - it just saves so much comparing to an ICE car. Yeah we might just pull the trigger next year :D Thanks mate.

LFP batteries in BYDs are very safe and can withstand nail penetration. Sodium Ion will be in mass production in cars in maybe 3 years. The main benefit of sodium batteries is that they can work well in negative temps but it doesn't really get cold in Australia. The energy density is similar to LFPs so the weight is going to be the same. They are massively better for manufacturers because at a proper volume they are going to be cheaper than already cheap LFP chemistry but for a consumer in a warm climate there is not much difference. Plus the new generation of LFPs are lighter and charge crazy fast. Zeekr 7x RWD 75kWh battery can charge at 450kW. they say 15 min 10-80%. Xpeng G6 new version has standard range and extended range with LFPs now and the charge rate is 220kW, not Zeekr but fast as well. BYDs state lower charge rate but from tests I've seen they maintain the speed for longer and have a flatter curve. Solid state batteries are a bit of a dream and no one really started to use them at a scale, there were talks about IM5 and IM6 and even MG4 urban but from what I understand they still use not solid state. The benefits for these will go to the manufacturer as well because they'll require less materials and batteries. With the current LFPs I don't think we even need a solid state. Sealion 7 is a very good package, the only negative is a high power consumption in an AWD model so I would recommend getting the RWD version. And they are selling well, 1887 cars in Sept, more than Toyota Land cruiser Prado. 8th most popular car in Australia.

Honestly, I wouldn’t wait just for sodium or solid-state. Those techs are super promising, but still a few years out from real-world cars. The current Blade battery in the SL7 is already one of the safest and most proven ones out there — I’d say go for it if you like the car.

The BYD blade LFP battery is the best. Sodium snd SSB will eventually replace it but this will take 3 years to be available and likely another 7 years before it is the norm. I've been driving the Atto3 since 2023 and its been great so don't weight, get the SL7 and enjoy. BTW i test drove the tank, got really annoyed at all the safety alerts which cant be turned off, hope GWM improved that.

I finally got my tank and gotta say they must have updated the software - as I remember clearly when I test-drove it the ADAS was a PAIN IN DA BUTT but this time it is quite subtle - I yarned once and instead of beeping it showed a cup of coffee on screen and said 'take a break', and when I was too close to the curb it gently moved the steering wheel - but I deliberately did that to test the off-road ability so I held the wheel firm and it stopped fighting me for the wheel :D