Volkswagen’s battery company PowerCo has signed a deal to industrialize next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology from QuantumScape.
QuantumScape will grant PowerCo the license to mass produce solid state battery cells for $130m, superseding an earlier joint venture between the Volkswagen Group and QuantumScape to co-manufacture batteries through a pilot line set up in 2021. Frank Blome, one of two VW directors on the QuantumScape board has stepped down. His successor on the QuantumScape board will be announced in the coming months.
The non-exclusive deal covers production of 40 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year using QuantumScape’s technology with the option to expand up to 80 GWh annually, enough to outfit approximately one million vehicles per year. This highlights the challenge that QuantumScape has had in recent months in scaling up solid state battery production for car makers. A combined team will be set up to accelerate the industrialization of QuantumScape’s technology for integration in a Volkswagen Group vehicle series.
.QuantumScape’s technology platform is based on the company’s proprietary solid-state ceramic separator, which enables the use of a pure lithium-metal anode for higher power densities, fast charging and a robust safety profile.
“With this cooperation, we aim to bring the most sustainable and cutting-edge battery cells to our customers,” said Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo. “We have been collaborating and testing QuantumScape prototype cells for years now and we are looking forward to bringing this technology of the future into series production. QuantumScape’s technology is poised to enter a pivotal stage where PowerCo’s specialized expertise, resources and global factories can help facilitate the transition to industrial-scale production.”
“This agreement with QuantumScape will ensure the Volkswagen Group’s global fleet has access to this groundbreaking battery technology for years to come,” said Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology.
“This agreement is a major step in our long-term global scale-up strategy to bring QuantumScape’s solid-state lithium-metal battery technology to market,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, CEO and president of QuantumScape. “Combining our cutting-edge technology with PowerCo’s expertise in manufacturing and industrialization, this deal establishes a blueprint for a capital-light business approach and positions us at the forefront of energy storage innovation. Working closely with PowerCo as our first customer will help us accelerate commercialization and adoption of these game-changing batteries together.”
“Frank Blome has been an exceptional partner for QuantumScape for many years,” said Jagdeep Singh, co-founder and board chairman of QuantumScape. “He has provided invaluable contributions to QuantumScape’s product portfolio strategy and key decisions about industrialization. As we move forward, Frank will continue to be an active partner in this relationship as an anchor manufacturer of our innovative battery technology, ensuring strength and continuity in our collaborative efforts.”
PowerCo is headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany and is building a total of three cell factories with a total volume of up to 200 gigawatt-hours per year at Salzgitter, in Valencia in Spain and St. Thomas in Canada.
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