GM Bets on Sodium-Ion Battery Cells for Grid-Scale Energy Storage

General Motors has partnered with Peak Energy to develop next-generation sodium-ion battery cells for grid-scale energy storage projects, rather than electric vehicles. The partnership will see GM develop the cells in its Michigan battery labs, with Peak Energy integrating them into its battery storage systems. The companies aim to target the rapidly growing market for stationary energy storage, which is currently dominated by lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Peak Energy believes sodium-ion batteries can offer a lower-cost alternative, with a passively cooled battery storage platform that eliminates the need for active cooling equipment. According to Peak, its platform can reduce energy storage costs by 20% and deliver more than 99% uptime. GM’s vice president of battery and sustainability, Kurt Kelty, stated that sodium-ion is a strong fit for stationary storage, and the company is working with Peak to push the benefits of sodium-ion further. The partnership has also led to Peak Energy raising $108 million in a Series B funding round, which will be used to expand US manufacturing and bring its passively cooled energy storage systems to the data center market.