Clarios, Altris and InoBat Advance Sodium-Ion Technology Toward Industrialization

Successful customer evaluations and cold-cranking performance validated down to –40°C support the transition from validation to pilot-scale and small-series production.

Glendale, September 14, 2026 – Clarios, a global leader in advanced low-voltage battery solutions, together with Swedish sodium-ion innovator Altris and European battery manufacturer InoBat, today announced significant progress in the development of sodium-ion battery technology for low-voltage and high-power applications.

Over the past months, the partners have completed a new phase of validation activities designed to further mature sodium-ion technology for future commercial applications. The program included successful summer validation under demanding operating conditions and continued validation activities with key customers across automotive, heavy-duty and off-highway segments. These activities, combined with significant improvements in cold-weather performance, further strengthen confidence in sodium-ion’s suitability for future low-voltage and high-power applications. Recent testing has extended cold-cranking capability from previously communicated performance levels to temperatures as low as –40°C, marking a significant advancement in sodium-ion low-temperature performance and broadening its applicability in demanding operating environments.

“The latest validation results mark an important step forward in our sodium-ion roadmap,” said Federico Morales-Zimmermann, Vice President and General Manager, Global OEM Customers, Products and Engineering at Clarios. “Ongoing validation work with key customers across automotive, heavy-duty and off-highway applications, combined with expanded testing activities and improved low-temperature performance, gives us confidence to move from technology development toward pilot-scale and small-series production. Sodium-ion is becoming a commercially relevant technology pathway for future low-voltage and high-power applications.”

The validation work included both internal testing and customer evaluations across automotive, commercial vehicle and intralogistics applications. Feedback from these activities has helped refine application requirements, confirm the relevance of the current cell design and support the next phase of development. Validation activities, customer evaluations and recent performance improvements have provided the confidence to advance the validated cell design toward pilot-scale learning and small-series production readiness. The partners are seeing growing interest across several market segments, reflecting the potential role of sodium-ion as a complementary technology for applications that require high power, reliable performance and a more localized supply chain.

For Altris, the latest results demonstrate the progress of its cathode material under demanding automotive validation conditions. “Automotive low-voltage is one of the most demanding validation environments for sodium-ion technology, and Altris’ cathode material has now come through it. Proving the chemistry at that standard, with a material that uses no lithium, nickel or cobalt and can be produced in Europe at scale, is what makes the next phase possible,” said Christer Bergquist, CEO of Altris.

Building on these results, the program is now advancing beyond prototype development toward pilot-scale learning and small-series production readiness. The next phase will utilize InoBat’s Volta facility in Slovakia, an operational pilot manufacturing site that combines R&D, testing and small-scale production capabilities within a single location. The facility provides an established environment for product maturation, customer evaluations and industrialization-readiness activities.

“One of the biggest challenges in battery innovation is bridging the gap between successful development and scalable manufacturing,” said Marian Bocek, InoBat Co-Founder and CEO. “Pilot-scale production alongside InoBat engineering and manufacturing expertise allows us to validate processes, support customer programs and prepare the technology for broader commercialization. At InoBat, we strongly believe in Na-ion as an enabler for sovereign and secure western supply chain. Our current activities with Clarios and Altris take an important step on the path toward this vision.”

The collaboration combines Altris’ sodium-ion battery expertise, Clarios’ battery-system integration and industrialization capabilities, and InoBat’s cell-development and manufacturing know-how. Together, the companies are advancing sodium-ion from validation toward industrialization readiness, with the goal of supporting future low-voltage and high-power applications across automotive, commercial vehicle and intralogistics markets.

About Clarios

Clarios is the global leader in advanced, low-voltage battery technologies for mobility. Our batteries and smart solutions power nearly every type of vehicle and are found in 1 of 3 cars on the road today. With around 18,000 employees in over 100 countries, we bring deep expertise to our Aftermarket and OEM partners, and reliability, safety and comfort to everyday lives. We answer to the planet with a rigorous sustainability focus – advancing best-in-class sustainability practices and advocating for them across our industry. We work to ensure 100% of our products sold are recyclable, and we recycle 8,000 batteries an hour in our network.

About Altris

Altris is a Swedish sodium-ion battery developer, with primary focus on its proprietary Prussian White cathode material. Sprung out of the Ångström Laboratory at Uppsala University, Altris is taking its patented innovation from conception to commercialization. Looking ahead, Altris aspires to become the primary supplier of sodium-ion battery cathodes in Europe, making a real impact by enabling a better battery at scale.

About InoBat

InoBat is a European battery manufacturer focused on high-performance and sustainable energy storage solutions. With a portfolio of pilot and industrial-scale facilities, InoBat supports the development and production of customized battery cells for automotive, aviation and industrial applications. Its facility Voderady in Slovakia includes R&D capabilities, pilot production line supporting product development, cell manufacturing and testing activities, as well as development of battery energy storage systems. Through its BESSMONT product line, InoBat designs, manufactures, and deploys utility-scale BESS serving industrial and utility customers and positioning for rising power demand from data centers and AI infrastructure. InoBat is an IPCEI awardee. Strategic shareholders include Rio Tinto, Amara Raja, Gotion High-Tech / Volkswagen Group, Slovak Investment Holding (SZRB Group), Across Finance and IPM Group.