General Motors Co. and battery manufacturer Microvast said Wednesday they will jointly develop specializedelectric-vehicle battery separator technology and build a new separator plant in the U.S.
The work will be supported by a $200 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing initiative, the automaker said.
Separators are battery components that separate the anode from the cathode.
GM will contribute its separator and coating technology for the collaboration with Houston-based Microvast, which designs, develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries and materials. The companies will then develop new separator technology to "improve EV safety, charging and battery life," they said in a press release.
"This collaboration with Microvast supports our ongoing efforts to develop a North American-focused EVsupply chain and help put everyone in an EV," said Kent Helfrich, GM chief technology officer and vicepresident of research and development, in a statement. "It will also provide us with pioneering separator technology that can be used in future Ultium batteries, and most importantly, supports our continuing commitment to safety."
