The automotive battery industry is improving by leaps and bounds as new advancements keep popping up. The latest development comes from QuantumScape Corp, which says it is testing its 10-layer solid-state battery cell.
QuantumScape, an American company, is backed by Volkswagen, one of the biggest names in the auto industry. The battery company recently became publicly traded.
Solid-state battery is an area where many companies are actively working as they are seen as better alternatives to current lithium-ion batteries. The goal is to cut battery costs, increase range and enhance safety. They have experimented with different battery chemistries, but the big breakthrough is yet to come.
The latest update from QuantumScape shows it is making progress on its solid-state battery research. The four-layer stage was cleared in February. Now, QuantumScape is working on the ten-layer tests. However, it still needs to do a lot to make its solid-state batteries fit for use in large-scale electric vehicle production.
QuantumScape said it had already optimized its solid-state battery for high energy density, fast charging, long functional life, and operation within a realistic temperature range.
Reports from QuantumScape indicate the 10-layer cells are giving good early results in capacity retention tests and recycling properties. The critical step is to show that the 10-layer cells can work with the larger cell formats used in EVs. QuantumScape has promised to disclose more testing data before the end of the year.
Next year, QuantumScape targets to move on to testing “several dozen layers” cells.
While work continues on the solid-state battery, QuantumScape is drawing up plans to build a production line for the batteries in a 50-50 partnership with Volkswagen, its biggest investor. Both companies want to start production in 2024, somewhat revealing the timeline QuantumScape has to wrap up its research and development effort.