GM Develops Sodium-Ion Batteries to Cut Dependence on China

According to CNBC, General Motors is in the early stages of developing next-generation battery cells that it believes can reduce U.S. dependence on China while increasing the use of domestically sourced materials. Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of battery and sustainability, said the company is working to build a domestic supply chain over the next two to three years and wants domestic sourcing in place when the cells reach market. GM is partnering with Denver-based startup Peak Energy on sodium-ion battery cells for energy storage systems, with commercial production expected around 2029. The automaker said it is also prioritizing domestic battery cell production for future all-electric vehicles. GM currently makes lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, cells with LG Energy Solution in the U.S. for energy storage systems, while it is producing other battery chemistries that still use undisclosed amounts of materials from China. The company is spending $900 million on new battery lab facilities at its global tech campus in suburban Detroit, including a more than 500,000-square-foot prototyping facility set to begin operations later this year.