Volkswagen Group’s battery company, PowerCo, and QuantumScape have entered into a significant agreement to industrialize QuantumScape’s advanced solid-state lithium-metal battery technology. This partnership will see QuantumScape granting PowerCo a non-exclusive license to mass-produce battery cells using their technology platform, contingent upon satisfactory technical progress and specific royalty payments. PowerCo can manufacture up to 40 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually with the option to expand to 80 GWh, enough to power around one million vehicles each year. This agreement supersedes a previous joint venture and aims to fast-track the production of high-demand solid-state batteries for electric vehicles.
The collaboration leverages QuantumScape’s cutting-edge technology and PowerCo’s global industrial capabilities, featuring a combined workforce to accelerate the technology’s industrialization. QuantumScape’s platform, based on a proprietary solid-state ceramic separator, promises significant improvements in energy density, charging speed, and safety. The companies aim to integrate these batteries into a Volkswagen Group vehicle series. Key leaders from both companies emphasize the strategic importance of this agreement, with Frank Blome stepping down from QuantumScape’s board to lead PowerCo’s efforts. The collaboration is seen as a crucial step in advancing electric vehicle technology and meeting global energy storage demands.
