General Motors develops domestic battery tech to reduce China reliance

General Motors is developing next-generation battery cells to reduce United States reliance on China for battery materials and supply chains. The company is focusing on sodium-ion technology, which utilizes more abundant domestic resources like sodium from soda ash, rather than materials dominated by China such as lithium and ferrous sulfate.

In partnership with Denver-based startup Peak Energy, GM aims to deploy these sodium-ion cells for energy storage systems (ESS) serving homes, businesses, and data centers. Commercial production for these cells is expected to begin around 2029. GM is also investing $900 million in new battery laboratory and prototyping facilities near Detroit to support these advancements.

While prioritizing energy storage, GM confirmed it will also prioritize domestic battery cell production for its future all-electric vehicles. Kurt Kelty, GM Vice President of Battery and Sustainability, stated the goal is to develop a supply chain that is fully domestic within two to three years to “leapfrog” existing Chinese-dominated supply chains.