[REVISION HISTORY]

US automakers diversification into defense and energy

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2026-09-26 14:13 UTC → 2026-09-26 14:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Major U.S. automakers, specifically Ford and General Motors, are diversifying their business models toward defense contracting and energy storage systems (ESS) in response to slowing traditional vehicle sales. Ford and GM are leveraging domestic mass-production expertise to pursue military vehicle programs, with GM developing an Infantry Squad Vehicle and Ford utilizing its Ranger line for military bids. Simultaneously, both companies are repurposing battery manufacturing capacity to serve the growing ESS market for homes, data centers, and electrical grids. General Motors is specifically focusing on developing sodium-ion battery technology to reduce United States dependence on Chinese-dominated supply chains. Through a partnership with Peak Energy, GM aims to use abundant domestic resources to “leapfrog” existing supply chains. To support these advancements, GM is investing $900 million in new battery laboratory and prototyping facilities near Detroit, with commercial production of sodium-ion cells expected around 2029. In terms of sustainability and circularity, GM has transitioned from pilot programs to full-scale implementation of recycled materials. Following a partnership with Cirba Solutions, GM has successfully completed a closed-loop recycling pilot. By As of September 2026, GM has successfully integrated 100% recycled ~~minerals~~ nickel, cobalt, and manganese into the cathode active material of new electric vehicle battery cells. These recycled components, processed from end-of-life battery packs, are used by the Ultium Cells joint venture to manufacture cells for ~~production~~ vehicles ~~leaving its~~ produced at GM’s Spring Hill and Factory ZERO plants. GM states these materials meet the same standards for quality, safety, and performance as virgin raw materials. Furthering its efforts to secure domestic supply chains, GM is also partnering with MP Materials to source industrial magnets. MP Materials is preparing to begin commercial deliveries of neodymium-iron-boron magnets to GM in the fourth quarter of 2026. These magnets, produced at a facility in Fort Worth, Texas, using raw materials from the Mountain Pass mine in California, are intended for use in the traction motors of GM’s North American-produced electric vehicles.

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