General Motors and Peak Energy plan to develop sodium-ion battery cells for stationary grid storage. This initiative is based on a strategic partnership that includes an investment by GM Ventures in Peak Energy. The goal is to deploy the cells in large-scale energy storage systems. The technology is expected to be ready for mass production in 2028 at the earliest.
As part of the collaboration, GM will develop the sodium-ion cell in its Michigan battery laboratories. The company will also retain exclusive manufacturing rights. Peak Energy will then integrate the cells into its own energy storage systems.
Passively Cooled Storage as a Cost Advantage
According to Peak Energy, the company is focusing on passively cooled storage systems. These systems are designed to operate without the energy-intensive active cooling common in many lithium iron phosphate systems. Peak Energy claims its sodium-ion systems could reduce storage costs by 20 percent compared to conventional systems.
GM Seeks Additional Uses for Battery Investments
For GM, this move comes during a period of weaker electric vehicle sales in the U.S. The NYT reports that GM and other manufacturers have scaled back production of electric cars. Reasons for this include the expiration of tax incentives and heavy losses from previous investments in electric cars. Stationary storage systems could help automakers leverage their existing battery expertise more broadly. Tesla has been selling such systems since 2015, and Ford is planning large-scale battery storage projects as well.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/business/energy-environment/general-motors-storage-batteries-electric-vehicles.html
https://peakenergy.com/news/latest/gm-partnership
