GM is getting in on the data center game — auto giant will start building huge sodium-ion batteries to help with…

• GM enters large-scale energy storage through a sodium-ion battery partnership
• Sodium-ion batteries promise cheaper storage without complex cooling systems
• Peak Energy supplies storage systems while GM builds sodium-ion cells

General Motors (GM) has announced a partnership with energy storage firm Peak Energy in a move marking a notable shift in the automaker's battery strategy.

Under the agreement, GM will manufacture sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery cells for stationary energy storage systems serving utilities, data centers, and other large electricity users.

Peak Energy will then deploy those cells within its own proprietary storage systems for utilities and large power users.

Why sodium instead of lithium

Na-ion batteries share considerable chemical similarity with the lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells that dominate portable electronics and electric vehicles today. However, the comparisons largely end at that basic chemistry.

GM and Peak argue Na-ion systems can operate across a much wider temperature range.

This potentially eliminates the costly...

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