At an event called GM Empower in San Francisco, General Motors announced its ambitions to become far more than an automaker. It wants to become an energy giant to solve the problems posed by power-hungry AI data centers and frequent natural disasters. The automaker is now developing a new sodium-ion battery chemistry for energy storage systems in partnership with startup Peak Energy. GM will develop the next generation of these cells at its Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center in Warren, Michigan. GM has also partnered with utility giant PG&E to connect 52,000 GM EVs to the grid by the end of the decade. Cars are stationary for the majority of the time, doing nothing while being parked. EVs can double up as backup power banks for the grid, helping owners reduce their energy bills and give utility companies a new weapon in tackling grid imbalances during high demand periods.
