Over the past year, researchers at a large laboratory in Warren, Michigan, operated by General Motors (NYSE: GM), have tested 18 new battery chemistry formulations, with the goal of reducing battery costs—one of the biggest obstacles preventing American consumers from buying electric vehicles.

GM management believes that if they can finalize the right formula for a special battery relying on cheap manganese, the company will finally have a chance to launch mass-market affordable EVs after multiple failed attempts.

If this round of testing successfully scales up to mass production, GM plans to equip at least one all-new commercial EV with this manganese-based battery in 2028, and expand it to more models in subsequent years.

The news that this pilot plant has begun production and that cathode material trial production is underway is being disclosed for the first time. This marks a new phase of cautious restart for GM's EV business.

Just eight months ago, GM recorded a $6 billion impairment loss on EV-related investments; between 2024 and 2025, GM's autonomous driving subsidiary Cruise also brought about approximately $1.1 billion in investment impairment, and the company was shut down at the end of 2024.

Aside from Tesla, no large Western automaker has successfully transformed into a battery manufacturer. Volkswagen tried but has not yet succeeded; even Tesla's own battery production scale remains relatively limited.

Over the past few years, dozens of American battery startups rushed to commercialize large-scale production directly, ultimately going bankrupt; others simply gave up on developing and producing their own batteries, instead licensing battery component technology to others.

GM has not yet disclosed when research and development on sodium-ion cells began. Sodium-ion batteries work on a similar principle to lithium batteries, except that sodium replaces lithium. Sodium-ion batteries have significantly lower energy density than lithium batteries, and almost no automaker plans to use them in passenger vehicles.

GM's efforts to restart its EV business complement Ford's approach. Ford is also targeting the 2028 timeframe and plans to launch a mid-size electric pickup called the Fathom.