A CATL sodium-ion battery model. | BLOOMBERG

With a thick outdoor jacket to protect against minus 30 degrees Celsius temperatures and bitter winds, Calvin Quek joined car and technology enthusiasts huddled by a test track on the outskirts of a picturesque ski region in Inner Mongolia.

They watched Chongqing Changan Automobile electric SUVs and a sleek battery-powered coupe effortlessly navigate icy roads and steep snow-dusted slopes at the facility in Yakeshi, northeastern China. Yet for the crowd at the February demonstration, the most impressive factor was out of view.

Batteries powering the vehicles used sodium as their key raw material component, rather than lithium — the metal that’s become synonymous with electrified transportation and the storage of renewable energy.…