- VW’s PowerCo could eventually produce up to 80 gigawatt-hours of solid-state batteries per year
- QuantumScape and PowerCo to Collaborate to Scale Up Production
- Production time and location not specified
Volkswagen’s battery unit PowerCo and solid-state battery technology company QuantumScape on Thursday unveiled a path toward industrialization and Mass production of solid-state lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles
Through a non-exclusive licensing agreement, PowerCo will be able to produce up to 40 gigawatt-hours of batteries per year using technology from the solid-state company, with the option to ramp up to 80 gigawatt-hours—enough for one million EVs annually.
QuantumScape Ceramic Separator
QuantumScape’s solid-state technology uses ceramic separators to enable the creation of pure lithium metal anodes Higher energy density and power, with faster charging speeds. Like other solid-state battery technologies, QuantumScape has long proven that the idea has merit in the lab and smaller-scale settings, but scaling up to mass production — for use in vehicles over many years — has been a challenge.
In this regard, the companies said they will combine core competencies with a “combined workforce initiative” to accelerate the process of scaling up production and integrating these components into VW vehicles.
Potential future solid-state battery production locations and timelines have yet to be disclosed.
VW Salzgitter cell base
Volkswagen has broken ground on “gigafactory” the first EV battery factory in July 2022, at the same time the company formalizes the PowerCo business unit that oversees it. The facility in Salzgitter, Germany, serves as the hub for VW’s global battery operations and the starting point for what VW calls a “global battery offensive” built around local, market-driven battery production and a vertically integrated battery supply chain. aims to cut cell costs by 50%.
The German battery maker is producing a new prismatic unified battery format that is expected to be used with the automaker’s upcoming model. Scalable System Platform (SSP) for Electric Vehicles starting in 2026 and will eventually be installed on 80% of VW Group electric vehicles by the end of the decade.
VW Power Day – solid state components
At Power Day 2021, VW called solid-state battery technology the “end game” in the transition to electric vehicles, noting that it doesn’t see it appearing until 2025 or later—in small quantities at first. It sees solid-state technology enabling 80% fast charging in just 12 minutes.
VW has considered solid-state batteries and QuantumScape part of its long-term plans for more than a decade, and has been working with the company since 2012. Toyota is developing solid-state batteries with Panasonic and sees the technology being “commercially ready” by 2027 or 2028. Honda sees them as enable affordable small electric vehiclesMeanwhile, Nissan is working to develop its own solid-state battery cells and sees game-changing potential. Advantages of EV packaging from them
