General Motors (GM) and U.K.-based IONATE, a developer in energy infrastructure technology, are collaborating to deploy IONATE's proprietary smart grid solutions at the automaker's manufacturing plant in Romulus, Michigan. The announcement on Thursday marks the energy infrastructure developer’s entry into the U.S. market following the launch of several utility projects across the European grid. The HIT units were featured in live European grid installations, powering local homes and businesses alongside energy giant Energias de Portugal (EDP) in 2023. IONATE also collaborated in 2024 with one of London’s largest distribution operators, National Grid Electricity Distribution and researchers from Cardiff University, which measured cost-effective ways to remove grid congestion by deploying HIT units. By targeting these fluctuations, IONATE founder and CEO Matthew Williams claims the HIT technology can accommodate local utility distribution grids to accept up to 33% more renewable energy without overloading.