Swedish developer Northvolt has launched a breakthrough sodium-ion battery that could reduce Europe's dependency on scarce raw materials from China in the energy and electric vehicle industries. The battery, which does not use lithium, nickel, graphite, and cobalt, has an energy density of over 160 watt-hours per kilogram and could be used for electricity storage plants and electric vehicles. Northvolt's new battery provides an option that is not reliant on certain parts of the world, including China, and could help decarbonize national electricity grids.