Image: Maximum energy
GM has partnered with Peak Energy to develop next-generation sodium-ion battery cells, but they won’t be dedicated to electric vehicles: They’re for grid-scale energy storage projects. GM Ventures is making a strategic investment in Peak Energy.
June 10, 2026: Under the partnership, GM will develop sodium-ion cells at its Michigan battery labs and retain exclusive manufacturing rights. Peak Energy will integrate the cells into its battery storage systems as it ramps up manufacturing in the United States.
The companies are targeting a market that is growing rapidly as utilities add battery storage to support renewable energy, growing demand for electricity and the construction of data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The current stationary storage market is dominated by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. But Peak Energy believes sodium-ion batteries can offer a lower-cost alternative for grid applications, where energy density is less important than cost, reliability and safety.
A key part of Peak’s pitch is its passively cooled battery storage platform. Conventional LFP battery systems require active cooling equipment to maintain safe operating temperatures, adding cost and complexity. Peak says its system eliminates those cooling systems entirely.
According to the company, its sodium ion platform can reduce energy storage costs by 20% compared to conventional systems while delivering more than 99% uptime.
Peak also claims that its design wastes less energy. It is estimated that replacing conventional LFP storage systems with its passive cooling technology could reduce annual energy waste from battery storage in the US by up to 2 terawatt-hours. That’s enough electricity to power a medium-sized city for a year.
GM vice president of batteries and sustainability Kurt Kelty said sodium ions are a good option for stationary storage.
“At GM, we know the application must determine the battery, and for grid-scale stationary storage, sodium ions are the right solution,” Kelty said. “Peak is already demonstrating the value of sodium ions through its innovative energy storage platform, and together we are working to drive those benefits even further with our next-generation cell, helping to deliver more reliable, lower-cost energy storage at scale for the U.S. grid.”
Sodium-ion batteries still represent a small part of the global battery market, but interest is growing because they can be made from more abundant and lower-cost materials than lithium batteries. GM and Peak are betting that those advantages could make sodium ions an increasingly attractive option for large-scale energy storage. But don’t expect GM to develop sodium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles, because the energy density is too low.
October 23, 2026, update: Peak Energy has raised $108 million in an oversubscribed Series B funding round led by GM Ventures, with backing from LG Technology Ventures and other investors.
The sodium-ion battery startup plans to use the money to expand U.S. manufacturing, fulfill more than $1 billion in orders from existing customers and bring its passively cooled energy storage systems to the energy-intensive data center market.
Read more: GM-LG moves US electric vehicle battery plant to LFP energy storage
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