US car maker joins battery energy storage system (BESS) market with lithium-ion products expected to enter production imminently through LG partnership. Announces sodium-ion R&D program and plan to ramp up bidirectional capability for GM vehicles. The move follows Ford Motor Company’s decision to repurpose EV manufacturing capacity to build a BESS unit unveiled earlier in 2026.
From ESS News
General Motors (GM) is partnering with US BESS manufacturer Peak Energy to develop and deploy grid-scale battery storage based on sodium-ion chemistry. The US auto manufacturer also plans to begin production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries within a month.
In its announcement, GM said sodium-ion will be “a defining chemistry for grid-scale energy storage systems” in the years ahead and the company is going to develop the technology at its battery R&D center in Warren, Michigan.
While it invests in new sodium-ion technology, the auto maker will progress its joint venture with LG Energy Solution to begin production of LFP batteries. GM and LG Energy have been developing their own LFP cell technology – named Ultium Cells – which will be used in the new energy storage product.
