Envision Energy

Envision Energy Group, founded in 2007 in Shanghai by Lei Zhang, is best known as one of China's largest wind turbine manufacturers and a global developer of integrated clean energy systems. The company's energy storage division — Envision AESC (Advanced Energy Storage Company) — has produced lithium-ion cells since 2019 following the acquisition of Nissan's battery subsidiary, and the sodium-ion entry announced at ESIE 2026 in April represents a strategic expansion into non-lithium chemistries driven by AI data center demand. Envision's sodium-ion cell, which began rolling off production lines in March 2026, is a 180 Ah format cell with a cycle life of at least 20,000 cycles and an operating temperature range of -40 to 70 degrees Celsius. The explicit primary target application is AI data center backup power — a market that analysts project will require over 300 GWh of battery storage within this decade, driven by the explosive growth of GPU compute clusters and their power reliability requirements. Secondary applications include extreme-temperature grid environments where lithium cells degrade fastest. Envision's financial position is formidable: the company signed a $500 million finance deal in April 2026 for AI-related energy storage expansion, positioning it as a well-capitalized entrant into sodium-ion rather than a capital-constrained startup. Its existing relationships with wind farm operators globally, combined with an integrated energy system platform (renewable generation, storage, grid management software), give Envision a commercial flywheel that pure battery companies cannot replicate. Envision also launched a 12.5 MWh AI energy storage system at ESIE 2026 equipped with next-generation AI adaptive power conversion systems — signaling a software-defined storage approach that differentiates its offering from cell-centric competitors.