Controller

GM plans U.S. battery development as Trump's DOT attacks Ford for China ties. Advertisements Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of battery and sustainability, speaks June 9, 2026, during the automaker's "Empower" event in which it announced the development of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage systems. Courtesy GM DETROIT - General Motors is in the early stages of developing next-generation battery cells that the company believes can reduce U.S. dependence on China, while boosting domestically sourced materials. "We're developing a supply chain such that, two years from now, three years from now, it will be domestic," Kurt Kelty, GM vice president of battery and sustainability, told CNBC during an exclusive interview. "That's what we're aiming for - when we get into market, we've got a domestic source for that." Kelty was referring mainly to battery cells that the automaker expects to use in energy storage systems, or ESS, which are stationary devices for homes and businesses, including data centers. But the company plans to similarly prioritize domestic battery cell production for its future all-electric vehicles, a spokesperson reaffirmed to CNBC. Kelty's comments came days before GM's crosstown rival Ford Motor fielded criticism by the Trump administration for its ties to Chinese companies, including for domestic battery cell production. For ESS, GM has partnered with Denver-based startup Peak Energy to develop sodium-ion battery cells. The idea is to lower the need for materials that China dominates - such as lithium and ferrous sulfate, a byproduct of titanium production - and instead, use domestic-made batteries utilizing more prevalent materials in the U.S., such as sodium from soda ash. GM is working on a variety of battery chemistries for different applications of ESS as well as its EVs. Much like baking, each ingredient and the amount put into a battery cell can change the outcome of the product. In the case of battery cells, that can mean differences in performance, cost and stability. GM expects to launch commercial production of sodium-ion battery cells with Peak around 2029. In the meantime, it's producing other chemistries for ESS and EVs that use undisclosed amounts of materials from China. General Motors energy is seen at the New York International Auto Show on April 16, 2025. Danielle DeVries | CNBC Most battery cells currently rely on raw materials from China. The International Energy Agency reports the country produces about 85% of the world's EV battery cathode active material and more than 90% of anode active material, leading to an 80% control of battery production. For example, China largely controls the sourcing and production of lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries through its supply chains. GM currently manufactures LFP cells with its partner LG Energy Solution in the U.S. for ESS, while Ford has licensed technology from China's CATL for LFP battery cells for its EVs and ESS plans. "It's a really good story, because you've got the resources [in the U.S.] that you can keep it totally domestic," Kelty said. "It's going to take some time to build this industry up, but the potential for sodium-ion is just much greater than LFP." At a foundational level, a sodium-ion battery works much like a lithium-ion battery, but GM says it has the potential to perform across a wider range of temperatures and for more cycles. Courtesy GM The Trump administration has placed particular focus on building up the U.S. battery supply chain and reducing its reliance on China. And, earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed "profound concern" over Ford's China ties, specifically citing the CATL licensing. That's despite Ford being the top-producing automaker of vehicles in the U.S. Kelty, days earlier, said of Ford, "they're following a different path." "We think it's more valuable to develop this all domestically, take advantage of domestic supply chains, and develop a technology that's actually better than the incumbent technology," said Kelty, a former battery executive with U.S. EV leader Tesla. 'Leapfrog' China tech? Sam Abuelsamid, a battery expert and vice president of market research at Telemetry, noted it will likely take years to domesticate a battery supply chain. At the same time, China continues to develop and produce new types of chemistries, including sodium-ion. "There's no reason why the LFP materials couldn't also be produced here," Abuelsamid said. "There's ways to do that, but... the sodium-ion would be even cheaper and easier to do." Kelty numerous times said GM hopes to "leapfrog" China's battery technologies, noting that competing directly with Chinese supply chains or mimicking what that market has already established would be difficult. "The better thing to do is try to leapfrog, come up with a different technology that's actually better that we can actually source here," Kelty said. Kelty said he views sodium-ion as the best solution for ESS, because its chemistry and temperature tolerance allow for the cells to function without active cooling - a major source of cost and complexity associated with ESS. That improvement means lowering the cost of ownership for energy storage, he said. The Warren Battery Cell Innovation Center on General Motors' global tech and design campus in suburban Detroit. Photo by Steve Fecht for General Motors The Detroit automaker is spending $900 million on new battery lab facilities at its global tech campus in suburban Detroit. That includes a more-than-500,000-square-foot facility for prototyping manufacturing of cells that's set to begin operations later this year. Still, that funding amount is small compared with what would be needed to substantially loosen China's grip on the industry. "We are purposely going down the path of having American-developed technology," Kelty said. "Batteries are really critical for a lot of different areas of of our economy here." - CNBC's Robert Ferris contributed to this report.

Automakers turn to salt for the next battery breakthrough. GM, CATL, BYD and others race to commercialize sodium-ion batteries for grid storage and affordable EVs. Abundant raw materials, strong safety, and wide temperature performance drive adoption even as energy density trails lithium-ion. Recent deals and production ramps signal accelerating momentum. Wednesday, September 9, 2026 General Motors just placed a sizable wager on batteries built from the same element that seasons dinner tables. The Detroit automaker announced a partnership with startup Peak Energy to develop and produce sodium-ion cells aimed squarely at grid-scale energy storage. Production is slated for Michigan starting in 2028. The move marks one of the most visible Western bets yet on a technology long dominated by Chinese manufacturers. But GM isn't alone. Across the Pacific, CATL and BYD have poured billions into sodium-ion factories. Their cells already power some Chinese electric vehicles and are heading into more. The stakes have risen sharply this year. Surging electricity demand from AI data centers has automakers and battery makers scrambling for alternatives to lithium that can scale fast and cost less over decades of use. The original Yahoo Autos report highlighted how several car companies are exploring this different kind of electric powertrain chemistry to sidestep lithium supply risks. That piece, published last year, captured early momentum. Yahoo Autos noted prototypes and small production runs already on Chinese roads. Since then the field has accelerated. Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of battery and sustainability, didn't mince words. "Instead of making an LFP cell that everybody else makes using Chinese technology that everybody else is using... we're developing a better technology that enables us to leapfrog the competition," he told the Financial Times in June. The company sees sodium-ion as ideal for stationary storage because it handles wide temperature swings, lasts longer in daily cycling, and avoids the geopolitical headaches tied to lithium processing. Peak Energy signed a $500 million deal with Jupiter Power last year to deliver up to 4.75 gigawatt-hours of sodium-ion storage by 2030. GM's investment and joint development add muscle. The two plan material and component work this year, followed by prototyping in Michigan. No active cooling needed for the prismatic cells. That simplifies packs and trims costs further. And the advantages stack up. Sodium sits 1,000 times more abundant than lithium. Mining it leaves a lighter environmental mark. Cells resist fire better in many tests. They perform well in extreme cold, retaining over 90 percent capacity at minus 40 degrees Celsius according to CATL data. But energy density still trails. Most sodium-ion packs deliver 140 to 175 watt-hours per kilogram. That limits them in premium passenger cars chasing 300-mile ranges. Chinese firms moved first. JAC Motors, backed by Volkswagen Group, launched the Yiwei E10X in late 2023. It became the first mass-produced EV with a sodium-ion battery pack. Automotive News reported the milestone in February. The car targets urban buyers who value lower price over maximum range. BYD broke ground on a 30-gigawatt-hour sodium plant in Xuzhou. CATL unveiled its Naxtra sodium-ion line and signed a 60-gigawatt-hour supply agreement with Beijing HyperStrong Technology for energy storage projects. Recent momentum shows no sign of slowing. In late August, battery maker Xupai began series production of 12-volt sodium-ion batteries for BAIC Arcfox electric vehicles, replacing traditional lead-acid units for auxiliary power. Heise Autos covered the shift on September 1. BAIC researchers have also developed prismatic sodium cells exceeding 170 watt-hours per kilogram for potential traction use. The low-voltage application offers a low-risk entry point while the industry scales higher-density versions. European and American players have taken notice. Stellantis Ventures invested in French startup Tiamat. Volvo's technology fund backed Sweden's Altris. Renault's joint venture JMEV offers an EV3 model with sodium-ion option in China. Even so, the bulk of commercial progress remains in Asia. Shipments of sodium-ion batteries reached 9 gigawatt-hours last year, up 150 percent from 2024. Projections point past 1,000 gigawatt-hours by 2030. GM insists its sodium cells won't power its own EVs anytime soon. Energy density remains too low compared with its lithium-manganese-rich chemistry arriving in volume by 2028. Kelty told InsideEVs the focus stays on storage systems that can run for 20 to 25 years with minimal maintenance. Data centers and renewable integration need exactly that profile. Yet the door hasn't slammed shut. CATL claims its latest sodium cells hit 175 watt-hours per kilogram, competitive with many LFP packs. The company expects cost parity with LFP by the end of this year. A September 7 research paper from Nanjing University described an iron-mediated cathode strategy that achieved 206 watt-hours per kilogram in a pouch cell with strong cycle life. Interesting Engineering reported the advance just days ago. Incremental gains keep narrowing the gap. Supply chain security drives much of the Western interest. China controls the majority of lithium refining and a commanding share of battery manufacturing. Sodium sidesteps that. No cobalt. No nickel in many formulations. Aluminum current collectors replace copper on both electrodes at CATL, trimming expense. "We believe sodium-ion will be a defining chemistry for grid-scale energy storage systems in the years ahead," Kelty said in a Reuters interview. The Reuters story from late June captured the broader frenzy. Ford launched an energy storage business. GM redirects some LFP capacity from vehicles to stationary uses. Peak Energy teamed with Energy Vault for software that optimizes sodium systems. Demand for dispatchable power has exploded as utilities race to support new data centers. Challenges remain. Sodium-ion cells weigh more for the same energy. Fast charging helps, but calendar aging and long-term durability in real-world grids still need years of data. Costs have not yet dropped as far as hoped despite abundant raw materials. Early plants run below full capacity. Still, the trajectory looks clear. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast sodium-ion reaching 20 percent of battery deployments by 2030 and 37 percent by 2035. Automakers face a split road. Premium brands chase ever-higher energy density with silicon anodes, lithium-metal, and eventually solid-state packs. Mass-market and fleet operators eye sodium for vehicles that rarely travel long distances. City delivery vans, scooters, and low-speed electric cars already use the chemistry successfully. Yadea launched multiple sodium-powered two-wheelers in 2025. Swapping stations in Shenzhen support them. GM's Kurt Kelty spent years at Tesla before joining the American giant. His experience shapes a pragmatic approach. Multiple battery chemistries in the portfolio. LFP for near-term affordable EVs and storage. Lithium-manganese-rich for trucks. Sodium for long-life stationary systems. The company committed $900 million to battery research. Bringing supply chains to North America matters as much as the chemistry itself. Chinese leaders express similar confidence, but from a position of scale. CATL chairman Robin Zeng has said the U.S. market will eventually boom and that his company's expertise will prove hard to replicate. Recent WSJ coverage of CATL's profit growth despite softer EV sales in China underscores the firm's pivot toward storage. Energy systems now drive much of its growth. So the competition intensifies. Western automakers and startups race to commercialize sodium without relying on Asian supply chains. Chinese giants scale production and sign ever-larger offtake agreements. Both sides bet that abundant salt-based batteries can stabilize power grids, lower long-term costs, and reduce dependence on scarce metals. The technology won't replace lithium-ion across the board. It doesn't need to. In a world hungry for every clean kilowatt-hour, different applications reward different strengths. Production lines are already humming in China. Pilot plants in California and Michigan are gearing up. The next few years will reveal which bets pay off first. For now the salt battery is no longer a laboratory curiosity. It has entered the mainstream race for the future of electric power. Subscribe for Updates