General Motors (GM) is entering the sodium-ion battery market after announcing plans to develop and manufacture sodium-ion cells for stationary energy storage applications in partnership with US battery storage specialist Peak Energy.
The companies said the cells will be designed specifically for grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), with GM retaining exclusive manufacturing rights while Peak integrates the cells into its energy storage platforms. The collaboration is supported by a strategic investment in Peak Energy by GM Ventures.
Development work will be carried out at GM’s battery laboratories in Michigan, with prototype sodium-ion cells scheduled to be produced this year at the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center. According to the company, the chemistry’s characteristics make it particularly suited to stationary storage, where energy density is less critical than cost, durability and operational simplicity.
Unlike conventional lithium iron phosphate (LFP) systems, sodium-ion batteries can operate over a wider temperature range and potentially without active cooling, reducing system complexity, maintenance requirements and parasitic energy losses. GM believes this could lower the long-term cost of ownership of large-scale storage installations.
“Lowering the cost of energy is one of the most important issues facing America today. We are proud to develop an energy storage system that is safer, cheaper, and faster to deploy than any other technology on the market, enabling the US to meet rapidly growing energy demand without saddling consumers with higher prices,” said Landon Mossburg, chief executive and co-founder of Peak Energy.
GM believes sodium-ion is the right solution for grid-scale stationary storage
“At GM, we know that the application should determine the battery, and for grid-scale stationary storage, sodium-ion is the right solution,” said Kurt Kelty, vice-president of battery and sustainability at General Motors.
“Peak is already demonstrating the value of sodium-ion through their innovative energy storage platform, and together we’re working to push those benefits even further with our next-generation cell — helping deliver more reliable, lower-cost energy storage at scale for the US grid.”
The announcement forms part of GM’s broader expansion into the energy sector. The company said rising electricity demand from AI data centres, renewable generation and grid modernisation is creating a rapidly growing market for stationary storage.
While GM continues to develop lithium manganese-rich batteries for future electric vehicles, it believes sodium-ion chemistry could become a key technology for grid-scale storage because it relies on abundant raw materials and can use North American supply chains. Large-scale production is expected later this decade.
