For years, sodium-ion batteries have been a promising idea that never quite arrived. That is beginning to change. In February 2026, Chinese battery giant CATL and automaker Changan unveiled what they describe as the world's first mass-production passenger car powered by sodium-ion technology. The vehicle is due to go on sale by mid-2026, and it marks a genuine turning point for a battery chemistry that has long sat in lithium-ion's shadow.