GM Makes Big Bet on Cheap, Safe Sodium-Ion Batteries

General Motors is moving beyond lithium. The automaker has partnered with startup Peak Energy to manufacture sodium-ion batteries for energy storage systems. The deal, announced last week, is a major step for Peak, a company founded just three years ago. For GM, it is a chance to adopt a battery technology that, until now, has been mostly produced in China. Sodium-ion batteries are cheaper and safer than lithium-ion ones, and they do not rely on scarce materials.