CATL (HKEX: 3750) said its rapidly expanding battery-swapping network in China will help accelerate sodium-ion battery adoption by easing consumer concerns about driving range.

The battery maker's chairman Robin Zeng made the remarks at a Benchmark Mineral Intelligence event in Shanghai, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Sodium-ion batteries offer sufficient range for daily urban travel, while an expanding swap network can ease concerns among drivers looking to make longer trips on weekends, Zeng said.

"We are building battery-swapping stations on our own, leasing batteries to the consumers," Zeng said. "We need to build more swapping stations on the highways and in the cities."

About 200 Chinese cities already have CATL swap stations, he said. The company aims to have more than 3,000 passenger car swap stations across China by the end of this year.

Battery swapping allows drivers to replace depleted packs with fully charged ones within minutes, offering an alternative to conventional charging.

CATL is promoting sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries in vehicles. The technology offers advantages in cold weather and is seen as potentially improving safety and reducing costs.

CATL previously said it expects 10,000 to 20,000 electric vehicles to use its sodium-ion batteries this year. The company also views the technology as a risk management strategy to reduce its exposure to sharp swings in lithium prices.

The company launched its Naxtra sodium-ion battery brand in April 2025 and jointly unveiled a passenger vehicle equipped with the battery with Changan Automobile in February this year .

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