Silicon Investor - QuantumScape Corporation

[Carkey] QuantumScape Announces Agreement with Honda on Solid-State Battery Technology Q...

Carkey — 6/21/2026 1:20:25 PM

QuantumScape Announces Agreement with Honda on Solid-State Battery Technology

QuantumScape Announces Agreement with Honda on Solid-State Battery Technology | Thu, 06/18/2026 - 09:00

another article

Honda deal is more bullish for QuantumScape stock than market realizes

"
the joint research deal actually follows the successful completion of a formal technology evaluation agreement; the Japanese conglomerate conducted hands-on technical studies and competitive benchmarking."

[Carkey] Article from 'Seeking Alpha' QuantumScape Stock: No Longer An Option, Now A Blue...

Carkey — 1/29/2026 8:12:30 PM

Article from 'Seeking Alpha'
QuantumScape Stock: No Longer An Option, Now A Blueprint (NASDAQ:QS) | Seeking Alpha

Summary

QuantumScape has transitioned from lab-stage feasibility to early factory workflow, materially de-risking its commercialization pathway since Q2 2023.
QS’s manufacturing risk has declined, with key equipment installed, pilot lines operational, and strategic partnerships reducing execution uncertainty.
Automotive OEM engagement has advanced to formal joint development agreements and field demonstrations, though production contracts remain pending.
Despite a ~22% share price increase since 2023, the magnitude of de-risking supports opportunistic Buys, with key risks now more trackable.

[Carkey] QS went up 21% today after Ducati revealed a V21L electric racing cycle using QS...

Carkey — 9/8/2025 8:23:21 PM

QS went up 21% today after Ducati revealed a V21L electric racing cycle using QS's QSE-5 battery cells manufactured via QuantumScape’s Cobra production process from the POWERCO partnership. PowerCo is part of the VW group which also owns Ducati.

" a major milestone as the first anode-free solid-state batteries to move from lab testing to a practical vehicle application."

here is a good site which show cases the reveal.

QuantumScape and PowerCo unveil a solid-state Ducati [Video]

[Carkey] Expanded deal with VM (power CO) " if and when QS delivers “satisfactory tech...

Carkey — 7/25/2025 10:40:24 PM

Expanded deal with VM (power CO) " if and when QS delivers “satisfactory technical progress and execution of the full licensing agreement.”

The have enough cash to last through 2029

continue to target 2026 to start field testing.

“another major global automotive OEM.” Although QS did not name the OEM

QuantumScape Q2 2025: Expanded deal with VW plus new partner

[Carkey] Here is an announcement made a couple months ago where QS is exploring the possi...

Carkey — 6/25/2025 9:30:49 PM

Here is an announcement made a couple months ago where QS is exploring the possibility of collaborating with a Japanese company named Murata.

I don't have any personal research on Murata but the announcement says they are
" a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules."

QuantumScape - QuantumScape and Murata Announce Framework for Ceramics Collaboration

April 23, 2025

[Carkey] QuantumScape - QuantumScape Achieves Major Milestone: Cobra Separator Process En...

Carkey — 6/25/2025 9:14:50 PM

QuantumScape - QuantumScape Achieves Major Milestone: Cobra Separator Process Enters Baseline Production ( June 24, 2025)

It seems like they are another step closer to scaled production.

Cobra forms the foundation of QS’s high-throughput, continuous-flow separator production platform

Compared to the prior-generation Raptor process, Cobra offers a ~25x improvement in heat treatment speed and occupies a fraction of the physical space per film start

"central to bringing our high-performance solid-state battery platform to market at gigawatt scale.”

Replaces previous Raptor process.

[Carkey] Article on why QS went up Thursday - 19.9% QuantumScape Corp (NYSE:QS) shares a...

Carkey — 10/26/2024 8:23:19 PM

Article on why QS went up Thursday - 19.9%

QuantumScape Corp (NYSE:QS) shares are trading higher Thursday after the company said it began producing its first b-sample cells and started shipping them to customers for testing.

QuantumScape said it plans to continue shipping samples to customers for feedback. The company plans to refine its processes based on customer feedback, which is says will take “many months” to complete.

Target bringing its advanced Cobra separator process into production in 2025.

The company reiterated that it has a cash runway extending into 2028.

QuantumScape Stock Is Ripping Higher Thursday: What's Going On?

[ynotgoal] PowerCo confirms results: QuantumScape’s solid-state cell passes first endurance...

ynotgoal — 1/3/2024 11:03:26 AM

PowerCo confirms results: QuantumScape’s solid-state cell passes first endurance test
volkswagen-group.com

Requirements exceeded: Solid-state battery from QuantumScape achieved more than 1,000 charging cycles with still more than 95 percent capacity. Depending on the model, an electric car could drive more than 500,000 kilometers without any noticeable loss of range.

Performance confirmed: The battery tests were carried out in the laboratories of PowerCo SE, the battery company of the Volkswagen Group.

PowerCo CEO Frank Blome: "These are very encouraging test results and a milestone on the way to series production of the solid-state cell."

Wolfsburg. The solid-state cell is considered a technology of the future and the next big step in battery development. The technology promises longer ranges, shorter charging times and maximum safety. The U.S. company QuantumScape has recently reached an important milestone, which was now confirmed by PowerCo: its solid-state cell has significantly exceeded the requirements in the A-sample test and successfully completed more than 1,000 charging cycles. For an electric car with a WLTP range of 500-600 kilometres, this corresponds to a total mileage of more than half a million kilometres. At the same time, the cell barely aged and still had 95 percent of its capacity (or discharge energy retention) at the end of the test. The tests, which ran for several months, were carried out in PowerCo's battery laboratories in Salzgitter

PowerCo CEO Frank Blome: "These are very encouraging results that impressively underpin the potential of the solid-state cell. The final result of this development could be a battery cell that enables long ranges, can be charged super-quickly and practically does not age. We are convinced of the solid-state cell and are continuing to work at full speed with our partner QuantumScape towards series production."

In the standardized test procedures for newly developed battery cells, robustness is considered the most important criterion. The industry-standard targets for this development phase are 700 charging cycles and a maximum capacity loss of 20 percent. QuantumScape’s solid-state cell significantly exceeded these specifications in the latest test. The cell was also able to meet the requirements for other test criteria such as fast-charging capability, safety and self-discharge. QuantumScape first reported on the results as part of their Q3 2023 shareholder letter.

Commenting on the test results, Jagdeep Singh, Founder & CEO of QuantumScape, said: "These results from the Volkswagen Group’s PowerCo testing make clear that QuantumScape’s anodeless solid-state lithium-metal cells are capable of exceptional performance. While we have more work to do to bring this technology to market, we are not aware of any other automotive-format lithium-metal battery that has shown such high discharge energy retention over a comparable cycle count under similar conditions. We’re excited to be working closely with the Volkswagen Group and PowerCo to industrialize this technology and bring it to market as quickly as possible."

The tested solid-state cell consists of 24 layers and thus already corresponds to the planned series cell. The next step on the way to series production is now to perfect and scale the manufacturing processes. In principle, Volkswagen’s unified cell concept developed by PowerCo is also suitable for the use of solid-state cell technology. The Volkswagen Group has been involved in QuantumScape since 2012 and is one of the main investors in the technology start-up.

[Glenn Petersen] Volkswagen, Ford, Other Big Auto Makers Push to Make Solid-State Batteries the N...

Glenn Petersen — 9/29/2021 6:38:58 AM

Volkswagen, Ford, Other Big Auto Makers Push to Make Solid-State Batteries the Next Big Thing for EVs

Hurdles remain in effort to replace lithium-ion batteries, which are considered flammable

By William Boston
Wall Street Journal
Sept. 28, 2021 3:48 pm ET

Silicon Valley startup QuantumScape in December said it had achieved a breakthrough, successfully testing batteries using its solid-state material. PHOTO: NICHOLAS ALBRECHT FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
-----------------------------

In the race to build a cheaper and longer-range electric car, auto companies are pouring more money into a technology long considered a moonshot: solid-state batteries.

Today, most electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries, which have become more powerful and affordable over the years but have limitations, including the risks of catching fire.

The configuration has the potential to deliver faster charging times and make the packs safer by eliminating the flammable electrolyte solution used in lithium-ion batteries, auto executives and analysts say.

Still, the technology remains costly and relatively unproven in real-world applications, a hurdle that is expected to take years to solve for the mass market.

Toyota Motor Corp. is pursuing in-house development of solid-state battery cells. Earlier this month, the Japanese auto maker said it needed more time to develop the technology for fully electric cars, though it would use smaller solid-state batteries in hybrid vehicles for now.

Other major car companies, such as Volkswagen AG , Ford Motor Co. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG have invested in solid-state battery startups to help them perfect the technology and make it ready for mass production.

A number of leading battery startups have so far received around $2 billion in investment from auto makers and financial investors, the consulting firm AlixPartners LLP estimated, with half of that going to QuantumScape Corp. , whose investors include Bill Gates and Volkswagen AG .

Workers in QuantumScape’s lab in San Jose, Calif. Volkswagen is among the company’s investors. PHOTO: NICHOLAS ALBRECHT FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
----------------------------------

The pressure to build a better battery has grown in recent years with car companies betting big on electric vehicles. Investment globally in plug-in models has increased 40% over the past year, said John Loehr, managing director of automotive at consulting firm AlixPartners.

Solid-state technology remains a longer-term endeavor. Mr. Loehr said it could be close to a decade before such batteries are ready for mass production, but auto makers are investing now to gain expertise and ready their manufacturing operations, he added.

“They don’t want to get caught where everybody else has this technology and they don’t,” Mr. Loehr said.

Advances in lithium-ion battery technology in the 1980s and 1990s gave birth to Tesla Inc., the first commercially successful electric car maker. Since then, lithium-ion batteries using a liquid electrolyte have improved in the travel range they can deliver between charges and are significantly cheaper than when they first appeared.

But the lithium-ion batteries also have drawbacks. General Motors Co. recently recalled about 142,000 Chevrolet Bolt electric cars to fix a manufacturing defect linked to battery fires. Some car companies have had to recall electric vehicles because of fire concerns involving the battery and warn customers not to fully charge their cars or park them in garages until the problem was fixed.

Industry executives and analysts say that using solid-state technology would make the batteries safer, because the core material is less likely to be combustible.

One big hurdle with the lithium-ion batteries is that as the energy density rises, the risk of catching fire increases, said Tim Bush, a battery technology analyst with UBS Research.

“If we get rid of electrolyte and replace it with solid material, we no longer have a safety risk, and energy density could go to twice as much as what we have today,” Mr. Bush said.

No one has yet succeeded in building solid-state batteries that can be mass produced and plugged into millions of cars. But some startups are hopeful they can achieve that goal by teaming up with auto manufacturers who have more than a century of mass production experience.

In December, the Silicon Valley startup QuantumScape said it had achieved a breakthrough, successfully testing batteries using its solid-state material.

In March, VW said its battery scientists independently verified QuantumScape’s tests in their own lab and agreed to invest an additional $100 million in the startup, bringing its total investment in the company to $300 million. QuantumScape has a market value of roughly $10.5 billion.

VW also agreed in principle to build a pilot facility to make EV-ready solid-state batteries using QuantumScape technology. Final approval of the pilot line is still outstanding, awaiting a decision from the German government on whether it will financially aid the project.

“Solid-state technology is the game-changer,” Frank Blome, who leads battery development at VW, said in March.

Following the QuantumScape news, BMW and Ford announced in May they were investing $130 million in Solid Power Inc., which is developing a solid-state battery.

Solid Power CEO Doug Campbell said the company would build a pilot line to begin building “automotive scale” solid-state batteries next year.

“We believe if the next technology comes it will be solid state,” Oliver Zipse, chief executive of luxury car maker BMW, told reporters on the sidelines of the Munich auto show in September.

Although a believer in the technology, Mr. Zipse is skeptical about how fast it could be ready for mass production, because of unknowns about the costs of manufacturing and its ability to work safely in extreme hot and cold climates.

“What’s not solved yet is the cost,” he said. “An electric car and the battery have to function in a very wide band of temperatures,” he added.

Toyota last year built a prototype vehicle using solid-state batteries and ran it through a range of tests. Masahiko Maeda, Toyota’s chief technology officer, said this month that the tests showed that these batteries had higher output than conventional lithium-ion ones. But it also found that they had a short service life.

“To solve this and other issues, we need to continue development, mainly of solid electrolyte materials,” Mr. Maeda told reporters at the company’s technology event.

Write to William Boston at william.boston@wsj.com

Copyright ©2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Appeared in the September 29, 2021, print edition as 'Auto Makers Seek Solid-State Batteries As the Next Big Thing for Electric Cars.'

Volkswagen, Ford, Other Big Auto Makers Push to Make Solid-State Batteries the Next Big Thing for EVs - WSJ

[sense] [graphic]

sense — 9/24/2021 6:26:14 PM

[sense] Could be the news is just cover for Bill Gates discovery that there are ants at ...

sense — 9/24/2021 5:38:19 PM

Could be the news is just cover for Bill Gates discovery that there are ants at his picnic ?

Did the SPAC see the backers exit or just enable them to exit... later ?

Otherwise, "San Jose-based QuantumScape declined to identify the automaker, but said the company was a "second top ten" automaker by global revenue"... leaves you wondering... which VW subsidiary would that be ?

[sense] "Solid-state batteries are set to see rapid increase in demand after 2030, event...

sense — 9/24/2021 4:57:15 PM

"Solid-state batteries are set to see rapid increase in demand after 2030, eventually outpacing current lithium-ion batteries"

Maybe... prove you can make one that works better and cheaper than the existing tech (and its improvement over time) before hyping the sales potential ?

I did wander past a QS advert recently... and poked at it briefly...

What I noted was that they were touting their "progress" in making bigger/better packages delivering larger numbers expressed in Amp hours...

But, if you do the math based on the area they provided x the # of layers... really all they were doing was using more of the same material with the same function in a larger package... and calling that improvement?

That's the sort of "improvement" you get if you power your flashlight with four batteries instead or two ?

Would be far more convincing if they published actually meaningful figures of merit rather than irrelevant data when claiming "improvement" in function... ? So, I did go back and look at the language they used... and they were actually careful to NOT claim it as improvement in function... rather than improvement in packaging into a bigger size with "more" in it.. not any "more" coming out of it ?

FWIW... I'm not long QS or any other... and not short QS or any other... rather than having an interest as I used to work on this and related tech in my own lab back in the... late 1990's. So, know the potential... just don't see that there's actually been a lot of progress made recently in advancing toward realizing it... yet.

Worth watching the space to see IF there is progress of that sort made... and then, WHEN there is... maybe useful to sort potential winners and losers...

[Clark Kent] That could be it. I did see that release. Not much there IMO

Clark Kent — 9/23/2021 1:56:16 PM

[Glenn Petersen] Nothing new today. Probably momentum from the news earlier this week. QuantumSc...

Glenn Petersen — 9/23/2021 12:12:44 PM

Nothing new today. Probably momentum from the news earlier this week.

QuantumScape partners with 'large' automaker to test battery prototypes

QuantumScape partners with 'large' automaker to test prototyp[url=https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/quantumscape-partners-with-unidentified-large-automaker-test-battery-prototypes-2021-09-21/]batteryes | Reuters[/url]

[Clark Kent] I don't see anything that could account for todays action. Anyone here know anyt...

Clark Kent — 9/23/2021 11:23:17 AM

I don't see anything that could account for todays action. Anyone here know anything?

[Glenn Petersen] Why the Hype Around Battery Startup QuantumScape Is Discharging The former stoc...

Glenn Petersen — 8/25/2021 5:58:35 PM

Why the Hype Around Battery Startup QuantumScape Is Discharging

The former stock-market darling still has a market value of $10 billion, which is a lot to take on little but hope and trust

By Stephen Wilmot
Heard On The Street
Wall Street Journal
Updated Aug. 25, 2021 12:45 pm ET

QuantumScape’s battery research has produced some promising test results, but details of its technology have been limited. PHOTO: NICHOLAS ALBRECHT FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
-----------------------------------

This column is part of the Heard on the Street Stock Picking Contest. You’re invited to play along with us here.

As a black-box company in a technical industry, battery startup QuantumScape QS -0.23% was always an unlikely investor darling. Chances that it can revive the early hype around its early-stage technology seem slim.

The company, which went public last fall via a special-purpose acquisition company, says it has hit on a wonder material that could, based on initial testing, enable the manufacture of “solid state” batteries with pure lithium anodes. This would be a breakthrough innovation, extending battery range, supporting fast charging and reducing costs. Electric vehicles might finally be as cheap and easy to fill with power as today’s gas ones.

QuantumScape became a stock-market sensation, with a strong following among individual investors. Valued at $3.3 billion in the deal that brought it to market, the company reached a peak enterprise value of more than $30 billion as 2021 dawned, according to FactSet (more, factoring in stock options and other forms of share issuance).

A steadily falling share price has since brought that number back to about $7.3 billion. Even that is out of kilter with peers. Solid Power, another solid-state startup, agreed to merge with a SPAC in June at an enterprise value of $1.2 billion. British peer Ilika is capitalized at less than $300 million.

The difference can only be justified if QuantumScape really has found the holy grail of battery research. This isn’t clear. The company hasn’t disclosed details of the revolutionary ceramic material at the heart of its cell design, making it impossible for scientists to verify. The test results it has published are promising as far as they go, but that isn’t far.

After years of secrecy, the newly public company said in December that the single-layer cells it tested through repeated charges and discharges retained more than 80% of their power even after 800-plus cycles, implying they could be driven hundreds of thousands of miles. It also said they performed at very low temperatures, and could be recharged to 80% of their power in under 15 minutes. These are impressive numbers, but old industry hands cautioned that achieving the same results with multiple layers of electrodes—an essential step toward making batteries big enough to power cars—would be tough.

Since then, the company has focused on increasing the layer count, first to four layers and then 10. A tweet Wednesday showed that its four-layer cells retained their power for 800 cycles under test conditions. The company hasn’t given updates on low-temperature operation or fast charging.

In April, activist short seller Scorpion Capital accused QuantumScape of running a “pump and dump SPAC scam,” which the startup’s chief executive has denied. Even battery experts who give the company’s reports the benefit of the doubt say it faces massive hurdles at the manufacturing stage and that its timeline is wildly ambitious. QuantumScape wants to enter commercial production some time in 2024 or 2025.

Some investors might be comforted by the backing of Volkswagen. In reality, the German automotive giant’s ongoing support may say more about the strategic priorities of Chief Executive Herbert Diess, a big fan of electric vehicles, than about QuantumScape. VW also got in cheap: It paid $300 million in various installments for a 17.7% stake, implying an equity value of $1.7 billion.

Factoring in stock options, QuantumScape’s “diluted” equity value is now $10 billion. It is a lot to take on little but hope and trust.

Write to Stephen Wilmot at stephen.wilmot@wsj.com

Why the Hype Around Battery Startup QuantumScape Is Discharging - WSJ

[Clouseau] Hello and thanks for starting the board. I'm new to QS, impressed with some of t...

Clouseau — 6/5/2021 5:24:33 PM

Hello and thanks for starting the board.
I'm new to QS, impressed with some of the videos and discussion, bought some shares.

One thing puzzles me: the QS video seems to show that the cell size changes as the anode forms while charging .
That would seem to me to create problems for layering multiple cells.

Maybe it's shown that way for emphasis on their clever anode approach...or maybe the cell gets fully charged before any layering in the manufacturing process, and doesn't change at all once that occurs...

Also wondering if anyone knows the specifics of the next major milestone that will control the next tranche from VW?

[Clark Kent] Thanks to Cooters for starting this board. I started following QS when I saw Mun...

Clark Kent — 5/14/2021 8:06:46 AM

Thanks to Cooters for starting this board. I started following QS when I saw Munro Live do an interview. The two discuss the short attack at one point. It's long but worth watching if you're invested.

[Carkey] This is an April 20, 2021 article about the sudden appearance of ‘Factorial Ener...

Carkey — 4/24/2021 5:04:50 PM

This is an April 20, 2021 article about the sudden appearance of ‘Factorial Energy’ in the race to produce an ASSB using a proprietary polymer separator

Battery Startup Comes Out of Stealth to Seize On Investor Frenzy - Bloomberg

QuatumScape is mentioned a couple times in the article.

There are five metrics on which a battery is judged:

how much energy it packs,
how fast it charges,
how many charge-discharge cycles it lasts,
how safe it is, and
how much it costs.

Factorial’s current batteries reach energy density of 350 watt-hours per kilogram and 770 watt-hours per liter. The company’s aim is to reach 400 Wh/kg and 1,000 Wh/l.. But not much better than existing L-ion technology

Factorial’s battery can do up to 460 charge-discharge cycles before its capacity falls below 80%. That’s more than what Solid Power promises with 250 cycles, but less than QuantumScape at 800 cycles.

It looks like QuantumScape, has the a very big war chest with $1.5 billion compared to the other ASSB startups.

Factorial started internally testing batteries with 40 amp-hours of capacity, about 10 times the size of a smartphone battery. That’s double the 20 Ah battery that Solid Power has built and many times the size of the largest battery QuantumScape has disclosed.
(The size of a QuantumScape’s disclosed battery does not bother me too much since the industry is very secretive about their research. CARKEY)

solid-state battery partnerships:

Toyota Corp. is working with Panasonic,
Volkswagen AG with QuantumScape,
General Motors Co. with Solid Energy Systems,
Ford Motor Co. with Solid Power and
Mercedes Benz AG with Hydro Quebec

Solid-state batteries are set to see rapid increase in demand after 2030, eventually outpacing current lithium-ion batteries

[FactsOnly] Great post. Thanks. I will follow Steve LeVine.

FactsOnly — 4/16/2021 9:09:39 AM

[ynotgoal] A Short-Seller Attack on QuantumScape Reveals a Forlorn New Reality for Exotic B...

ynotgoal — 4/16/2021 8:37:47 AM

A Short-Seller Attack on QuantumScape Reveals a Forlorn New Reality for Exotic Batteries
themobilist.medium.com

As great as they might be, the best may not be good enough to dislodge trusted lithium-ion

QuantumScape, the sizzling darling of battery investors from Silicon Valley to Wall Street, Europe and beyond, is the object of a fierce short-selling attack. Its assailant is Scorpion Capital, a little-known guerrilla outfit that yesterday released a 188-page, scorched-earth indictment that, in bold, black-and-red font and yellow highlight pen, accused QuantumScape of fraud and other transgressions. QuantumScape’s share price plunged 12.2% by the close of trading.
The report is a relentless, repetitive, often reckless assault that detracts from numerous valid doubts about QuantumScape: As of now, the startup hasn’t produced an actual battery, but only a cell half the size, in ampere-hours, of an Apple Watch. QuantumScape makes much of its supposedly liberal release of data, but many of its battery peers think it’s actually been pretty miserly, and that the data it has released has led to just more questions.
Scorpion made a particularly incendiary accusation: that QuantumScape’s management, while allegedly hiding all these problems, intends to “pump and dump” the stock — to unload their shares after their “lockup” period, the usual time in which employees must wait before selling any stock. In fact, the 150-day lockup period for QuantumScape employees does appear to lift right around the last week of this month, according to its S4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If that is correct, QuantumScape employees and executives could then sell shares as long as the stock price is at least $12 for any subsequent 20 days within a 30-trading-day period (since they went on sale, QuantumScape shares have never sold for less than $35.85, the price yesterday). Senior executives could sell 25% of their shares.
But there is more to this period for QuantumScape and a dozen or so high-flying battery startups, all promising exotic successors to lithium-ion, the workhorse formulation in every electric vehicle, smart phone, laptop and nearly every other portable electronic device: Some or even most these startups may end up failing — they may simply not manage to make the jump from the lab to the gargantuan scale required to make money in batteries.
Yet, if some do collapse, it may not matter all that much, battery experts tell me. This is because lithium-ion itself has come so far, and appears to have much further to go. Lithium-ion’s cost and performance appear headed to a mid-decade inflection point that would profoundly curtail the advantage of moving to one of the long-sought battery breakthroughs.
That is, for decades battery researchers have aspired to invent a pure lithium-metal battery — what QuantumScape is working on — and obtain 50% or even more energy than conventional cells. But Dan Steingart, a materials science professor at Columbia University, told me that by the middle of the decade, the performance edge from lithium-metal may only be in the low double-digit percentages. By then, the average cost of lithium-ion batteries is projected to drop to around $100 per kilowatt-hour, the break-even point with conventional gasoline-driven power trains, and to keep dropping from there. Electric vehicles will then cost the same as internal combustion. “If QuantumScape fails, it won’t matter a bit because lithium-ion batteries will already have done most of what they need to for EVs,” Steingart said. “There are pathways to get to $50 to $60 a kilowatt hour. When that happens, that will be all that matters.”
“Lithium-ion and advanced lithium-ion have already won the race and are here to stay,” Tyler Lancaster, a principal with Energize Ventures in Chicago, told me in a video call yesterday.
The attack on QuantumScape is in a way unsurprising: For a decade, QuantumScape and its CEO, Jagdeep Singh, were among the most secretive battery startups anywhere. But, since emerging from stealth and going public in November as part of the Spac mania, the company has gradually transformed into a comparative chatterbox: Singh has appeared on CNBC regularly, explaining how QuantumScape’s material will be in a commercial VW by 2024, and was the subject of a big spread in Bloomberg just this week. He has been the subject of numerous stories here at The Mobilist, including this one in September, by far the most popular battery piece produced by Medium the last seven months, beating out even Tesla.
Which is to say that QuantumScape has been the “it” battery company, a stature reflected in its shares, which soared as high as $131 last December, 13 times their initial price. The San Jose, California company has been bound to attract the attention of short sellers, especially since it doesn’t actually earn any revenue, and won’t until at least the middle of the decade, when it expects its battery system to be deployed in a VW.
The Scorpion assault is way over the top, throwing around references to Theranos, the blood test device fraud, and other scams like so much salt and pepper. Battery experts have been scathing: “I call bullshit on this report,” tweeted Jordi Sastre, a Swiss Ph.D student studying solid-state batteries. “I went through the slide deck and found nothing that hadn’t already been openly discussed in the battery community or communicated by [QuantumScape] itself. I’m specially disgusted by the shady analysis by a supposed expert and the amount of misrepresentations.”
“I couldn’t find a single statement that hasn’t already been raised and isn’t obvious,” Sam Jaffe, head of Cairn Research, a battery research firm, told me. “It’s all regurgitation. I read the Hindenburg report on Nikola. It was devastating. It showed all kinds of data, photographs and clear evidence that things were not right. There’s nothing like that in this report.”
QuantumScape itself responded with an 11-tweet thread just after the market close. It said in part that it “stands by its data, which speaks for itself. We have provided higher transparency than any other solid-state battery effort we are aware of, with details on current density, temp, cycle life, cathode thickness, depth of discharge, cell area, pressure.” VW, QuantumScape’s lead investor, declined to comment.
One might ask, as I have numerous times, why QuantumScape doesn’t simply put all the doubts to rest by paying for an independent, third-party validation of its system. So far, Singh has refused.

[FactsOnly] Scorpion Capital is shorting QS. "We are short Quantumscape (QS): A Pump and Dum...

FactsOnly — 4/15/2021 3:35:12 PM

Scorpion Capital is shorting QS. "We are short Quantumscape (QS): A Pump and Dump SPAC Scam By Silicon Valley Celebrities, That Makes Theranos Look Like Amateurs." I am not impressed with their powerpoint presentation and past performance. But they do raise a lot of reasonable doubts.

[FactsOnly] Here is an article that is positive on QuantumScape stock's current valuation. S...

FactsOnly — 4/14/2021 3:33:21 PM

Here is an article that is positive on QuantumScape stock's current valuation. Summary: Yes the concerns about the share dilution are valid but keep in mind the new stock issuance will be used to "build a larger QS-0 pre-pilot line". Also the value of QS stock already pulled back significantly because of these concerns. QuantumScape “ successfully met the technical milestone that was a condition to close for the investment of an additional $100 million by Volkswagen.

investorplace.com

[Glenn Petersen] Smart move. Take advantage of a hot market and build up the war chest. QuantumS...

Glenn Petersen — 3/22/2021 6:58:15 PM

Smart move. Take advantage of a hot market and build up the war chest.

QuantumScape Announces Proposed Public Offering of Class A Common Stock

March 22, 2021 05:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN JOSE, Calif.--( BUSINESS WIRE)--QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE: QS), today commenced an underwritten public offering of 13,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock being offered by QuantumScape. QuantumScape intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,950,000 shares of Class A common stock. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

QuantumScape intends to use the net proceeds it receives from the offering to build a larger QS-0 pre-pilot line than recently announced; to cover its full share of equity contributions to its joint venture with VW for the previously disclosed 20GWh expansion of QS-1 joint manufacturing facility; and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the Offering. Deutsche Bank Securities is acting as an additional book-running manager.

The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. A preliminary prospectus related to the offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and is available on the SEC’s website at cts.businesswire.com. Copies of the preliminary prospectus may also be obtained by contacting: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by phone at (866) 471-2526, or by email at prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy these securities be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

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[Carkey] From Reuters article - 'Volkswagen takes aim at Tesla with own European gigafact...

Carkey — 3/15/2021 11:58:20 PM

From Reuters article - 'Volkswagen takes aim at Tesla with own European gigafactories.'

Volkswagen takes aim at Tesla with own European gigafactories | Reuters

Most of this article shows the show the quickly changing EV landscape. I am not proposing that Volkswagen's strategy is going to dominate. But is does demonstrate what one of QS's investors is doing to insure they are a winner in the EV market place

Volkswagen growth strategy

· First 40 GWh would come from Sweden’s Northvolt, with production starting in 2023.

· Then will raise its 20% stake in Northvolt and also take over the Swedish firm’s stake in a planned battery cell venture in the German city of Salzgitter, which will form the second factory from 2025.

· Followed by a factory in Spain, France or Portugal in 2026

· Then additions somewhere in Poland, Slovakia or the Czech Republic by 2027

· Finally, two more plants will be set up by 2030.

Fast-charging points:

· Partnerships with oil major BP as well as top European utilities Enel and Iberdrola, Volkswagen aims to operate about 18,000 public fast-charging points in Europe by 2025.

· In North America, Volkswagen targets 3,500 fast-charging points by the end of 2021 via its Electrify America unit,

· while in China, the world’s largest car market, the group aims for 17,000 by 2025.

About battery tech:

Shifting to design, Volkswagen unveiled plans to have a new unified prismatic battery cell from 2023, which will support cost cuts generated by the higher level of in-house cell production and could impact its current suppliers.

· Electric vehicle makers, including Tesla, are using cylindrical battery cells, which resemble flashlight batteries and are relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

· Prismatic cells, which resemble a thin hardcover book, are housed in a rectangular metal case and are more expensive.

· Pouch cells, another alternative, are thinner and lighter, and resemble a flexible metal mailing envelope.

Someone needs to check me on this but I believe QS’s development centers around ‘Pouch Cells’

[Carkey] While they do not make an ASSB, CUBERG from Emeryville California and just purch...

Carkey — 3/11/2021 10:02:13 PM

While they do not make an ASSB, CUBERG from Emeryville California and just purchased by Sweden's Northvolt uses lithium metal but a Non-Flammable liquid electrolyte.

Cuberg | Home

Cuberg’s batteries are based on an innovative non-flammable electrolyte combined with a lightweight lithium metal anode. Verified in 2020 by the U.S. Department of Energy, our cell architecture radically increases energy density and power while ensuring product reliability and safety.

Moreover, our technology is optimally designed for rapid commercialization. Rather than requiring new production techniques, Cuberg batteries are fully compatible with current manufacturing technology. This gives our customers the confidence that they can scale up quickly, enabling them to focus on bringing transformative new mobility solutions to market.

I cannot determine what temperature parameters their batteries are expected to operate within.

CUBERG has been working primarily with Boeing and flight mobility technology but NORTHVOLT is s Volkswagen partner:
Volkswagen Battery Partner Northvolt Snaps Up Cuberg And Aims For 1000Wh/l (forbes.com)

[Carkey] competition for QS - GM/Solid Energy effort and LG as a possible American prod...

Carkey — 3/11/2021 8:38:13 PM

competition for QS - GM/Solid Energy effort and LG as a possible American production partner.
GM longer-lasting, cheaper Ultium EV battery tech revealed - SlashGear

So far there are three companies working Lithium Metal as the base for their ASSB:
QS/ Volkswagen
Solid Power/ Ford, Hyundai, BMW
Solid Energy/ GM

[Carkey] this is an interesting bit from the same seeking alpha article indicating QS' ta...

Carkey — 2/26/2021 9:44:37 AM

this is an interesting bit from the same seeking alpha article indicating QS' target architecture would not be state of the art when they achieve it

Energy Density: They talk about being able to get to an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, which would be great. However, they clearly have not yet, as all their graphs are normalized to 100%, not to an actual capacity. And Amprius is already making cells with 450 Wh/kg, and Tesla claimed on their Battery Day that they could achieve 350 Wh/kg. So, while nice, this energy density they hope to achieve in 2028 will not beat today's state of the art, and will not be state of the art when it is achieved.

I need to study that Jan article in more depth to learn more of the problems with making an ASSB.

[Cooters] Here's a counterpoint article, counter to the CEO's very compelling point about ...

Cooters — 2/25/2021 11:53:59 AM

Here's a counterpoint article, counter to the CEO's very compelling point about achieving a multi-level cell breakthrough.

QS Stock Still a Risky Gamble With Investor Lawsuits Pending | InvestorPlace

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Last month, Brian Morin wrote a piece on Seeking Alpha that shocked QuantumScape believers. While acknowledging that the company’s science was “very good,” he also concluded thus: “Their batteries are small and unproven – not yet as big as an iWatch battery, and never tested outside a lab.”
He went on to question whether the technology they claim to have is even possible.

“[Making such a battery capable of running an EV] is hard – very, very hard,” Morin said. “So hard, in fact, that nobody has done it. I’ve read many dozens of research papers where scientists have tried … but then apologize for the lack of a complete working battery, and lay out the significant challenges ahead.”

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PS - I don't have an issue with the second paragraph BTW, of course it hasn't been done, that would be the lure if QS can do it. My concern is how far long along the path from science project to commercial product is QS and are they $23B (market cap) along that path. Cooters

[Carkey] The core of the QuantumScape's achievement in ASSBs is a ceramic separator . th...

Carkey — 2/24/2021 7:54:34 AM

The core of the QuantumScape's achievement in ASSBs is a ceramic separator .

this website is from Dec 8th 2020..

Tesla co-founder on QuantumScape's new battery: it's a breakthrough (electrek.co)

‘Tesla co-founder JB Straubel on QuantumScape’s new fast-charging battery: It’s a ‘major breakthrough’

[Carkey] Announces Pilot battery factory 2/16/21 QuantumScape announces pilot battery pr...

Carkey — 2/24/2021 7:46:08 AM

Announces Pilot battery factory 2/16/21

QuantumScape announces pilot battery production factory in California - Electrek

'They also announced a plan to bring the product to volume production in partnership with Volkswagen by 2024'

[Carkey] So much to post I’ll have to come back when I have more time. QuantumScape is...

Carkey — 2/24/2021 12:11:15 AM

So much to post I’ll have to come back when I have more time.

QuantumScape is focused on Lithium-metal instead of Lithium-ION batteries. Lithium metal (and I would like someone to verify this) allows for higher energy density to weight ratio.

From what I have read so far this technology has an anticipated 500 mile range for an EV with a recharge to 80% within 15 minutes.

I think I have read about other battery ventures working toward this distance and recharge time as well but QuantumScape is fully focused on an ASSB (All Solid-State Battery) which has less to no potential to ignited when they short circuit than a battery using a semi liquid electrolyte as current lithium-ion batteries in all of their variants do.

According their the 4th Q 2020 results earnings call:

“We believe we are the only player to have shown a solid-state lithium-metal single layer building block capable of meeting the key requirements of long cycle life, high current density and unelevated temperatures

[Cooters] I saw discussions on QS on a variety of boards but didn't see one dedicated to i...

Cooters — 2/23/2021 2:33:42 PM

I saw discussions on QS on a variety of boards but didn't see one dedicated to it. The CEO was very impressive on CNBC recently when discussing their recently announced advancements. Hope interested parties migrate here(too).

Welcome in advance, Cooters