General Motors Co. and Palo Alto, Calif.-based OneD Battery Sciences have entered a joint research development agreement for the potential use of OneD's silicon nanotechnology in GM's battery cells to increase energy density for longer electric vehicle range at a lower cost.
GM Ventures participated in OneD's Series C funding round, which the company recently closed at $25 million.
OneD's SINANODE platform adds more silicon onto the anode of a battery cell by fusing silicon nanowires into EV-grade graphite. Silicon stores up more energy than graphite.
It's believed this is the first time two American companies collaborated on silicon anode technology, the companies said.
"GM designed Ultium to be a supremely flexible platform so we can continuously improve our cells as battery technology advances," said Kent Helfrich, GM chief technology officer, vice president of GM research and development, and president of GM Ventures. "Our collaboration with OneD will focus on efforts to continue advancements in EV range, performance and cost."