Solid-state batteries have been in the news for quite a while. Although development has taken its time, positive updates are now surfacing, uncovering a significant breakthrough in the technology. Solid-state battery manufacturer QuantumScape announced that its first 24-layer lithium-metal prototype has been shipped to automotive OEMs for testing.

QuantumScape is a battery manufacturing company founded in 2010 with the goal of developing next-generation solid-state batteries having little-to-no cost penalty versus traditional lithium-ion cells.

The world is set on a path of embracing EVs en masse, and the pace and volume of the adoption is staggering. OEMs like Ford, Volkswagen, and General Motors have doubled down on EVs, pouring billions of dollars into developing new technologies and promoting sustainable motoring.

Tesla had an early start on sustainability through its “EV campaign” that started many moons ago. Being an early player gave the company several advantages. However, the lead is fading away with legacy automakers stepping in. Through solid-state technology, established OEMs have a better chance of toppling Tesla’s EV monopoly, and QuantumScape is one step closer to making this happen. Here’s how.

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Owning An EV Today Has Its Fair Share Of Drawbacks

Volkswagen ID.5 Best Feature Featured Image
via Volkswagen

Even though technology is rapidly improving, owning an EV is still not cheap, nor is it particularly tension-free. Charging times, longevity, battery range, high purchase price, and non-universal charging docks (Tesla Superchargers) are some of the common concerns.

Although companies advertise insanely high DC charging speeds, there aren’t many of these stations around the globe. As a result, you’re still confined to the regular fast charging speeds that still take half-hour or more for a full charge. Increasing charging speeds can have an adverse effect on battery health. Much like mobile phones, Li-ion batteries have charge cycles that—down the line—drain the battery’s overall capacity to hold a charge.

Another thing is range. Not many EVs offer adequate or close-to-ideal range. While that depends on the individual, it’s still something to be concerned about. Solid-state technology addresses a lot of these battery inefficiencies to a greater extent.

Tesla Superchargers
Tesla

Next comes cross-platform compatibility, mostly involving non-Tesla EVs and Tesla chargers. While it’s being sorted to some extent with adapters, there is still the question of disparity. Much like Apple, Tesla is being a bit cheeky by using proprietary chargers when other OEMs are encouraging universal connectors. However, in Tesla's defense, the company is running a pilot program in Europe to open its supercharging network to non-Tesla EVs.

Apart from these, there is the overall emissions from manufacturing and fossil-fuel-powered electric grids. However, going forward, these wouldn’t be as big of a deal since efforts are being taken to make manufacturing and power supply carbon-neutral. Because electric mobility is a fast-growing industry, improvements and changes are quick and quite substantial.

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Advantages Of Solid State Batteries And QuantumScape’s Breakthrough

Solid State Battery toyota (1)
via Toyota

Solid-state batteries are relatively compact and deliver better range, while offering dramatically reduced charge times and roughly thrice the longevity of Li-ion cells. Solid-state batteries remove liquid electrolytes from the battery and replace them with a solid electrolyte. Some estimates say that solid-state batteries could double the electric range of the vehicle.

Solid-state batteries also generate less heat than conventional batteries. They have the advantage of not having the liquid electrolyte under thermal runaway, and in such circumstances would be generating only around 20-30% of the heat. Hence why Toyota is super-positive on the technology and plans to introduce solid-state-powered hybrids as early as 2025.

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Extended Range Battery Image
Via: Ford

QuantumScape, however, is leading the solid-state game quite effectively. The battery developer started gaining momentum in 2020 when it announced the idea of utilizing a ceramic separator. Following which, QuantumScape managed to demonstrate a single-layer cell completing 400 consecutive 15-minute fast-charge cycles, replenishing from 10% to 80% capacity while still retaining over 80% of its initial energy.

With learnings from its previous attempts, the company has now announced a 24-layer prototype housing a new but superior cell format—a solid-state separator, a cathode, and an in-situ-formed lithium-metal anode. QuantumScape has now delivered the first prototype solid-state batteries—dubbed A0 samples—to EV automakers for them to start testing.

Hummer EV Battery Image
Via: GM

However, the company admits there is still a long way to go. In its latest press release, CEO and co-founder Jagdeep Singh said, “While this milestone brings us closer to our ultimate goal, there’s still a lot to do before this technology becomes a commercial product, and we now turn our attention to this important work.”

The company still has substantial work ahead to bring this technology to market, including improvements to the quality, consistency, and additional enhancements on the product side, such as increased cathode capacity loading and improved packaging efficiency. QuantumScape expects to deliver improvements on these fronts in subsequent generations of A, B, and C samples over the coming years.

Sources: QuantumScape