QuantumScape (QS) Has Started Testing Its First 10-Layer 70mm by 85mm Solid-State Battery Cells Almost 6 Months Ahead of Schedule

QuantumScape (NYSE:QS), the company trying to create a feasible solid-state lithium-metal battery, has appear its earnings for the 2nd quarter of 2021. Given that QuantumScape is a pre-revenue company, its acme-line and bottom-line metrics are immaterial at this phase. Nonetheless, the disclosure does provide insight into the company's product evolution plans.

QuantumScape ended its second quarter with $1.5 billion in cash/liquidity. Moreover, the company expects to enter 2022 with at least $i.iii billion in liquidity. Additionally, the visitor expects to incur expenses in the range of $130 million to $160 meg during the year. On a cautionary note, QuantumScape's CapEx is tracking college than previous guidance.

QuantumScape disclosed in its letter of the alphabet to the shareholders today that it is currently testing 10-layer cells:

"These cells, in the commercially relevant 70x85 mm form cistron, are being tested at 1C and C/three (oneand three-hour charge and discharge) rates under our standard temperature (25 °C) and pressure (iii.iv atmospheres), weather condition nosotros believe are relevant for automotive applications."

Bear in heed that the company had set a target for the cease of 2021 to embark such testing. Additionally, QuantumScape tested its 4-layered 70mm by 85mm cells at standard three.4 atm and a temperature of 25 degree Celsius without any material degradation in cycling performance.

In some other of import development, QuantumScape is testing an fe phosphate (LFP) cathode for its lithium-metallic bombardment cells:

"... We made and tested our anode-gratuitous lithium-metal cells with a low-cost iron phosphate (LFP) cathode and confirmed that our chemistry and cell design are compatible with LFP, as shown on the chart below. LFP has seen a resurgence of interest, just traditional LFP cells using carbon anodes mostly endure from low free energy density (typically effectually 400 Wh/L). By contrast, we believe LFP coupled with QS'due south lithium-metal anode could deliver energy densities between 600 and 700 Wh/L, budgeted today'due south country-of-the-art NMC chemistries."

Bear in mind that QuantumScape had disclosed in its last letter of the alphabet to the shareholders that its cells, synthetic in a commercially relevant grade gene of 70mm by 85mm, cycled through around 450 charge/discharge cycles while retaining around 90 per centum capacity. Moreover, its coin-sized cells (30mm by 30mm) had cycled through over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles while retaining 80 pct chapters. Crucially, these money-sized cells were not exposed to externally applied pressure, which is unremarkably employed to "ensure expert interfacial contact betwixt the layers that make up the cell, without which the prison cell would have unacceptably high resistance and poor power performance."

Readers should note that the company plans to produce a working prototype by 2022. QuantumScape has likewise doubled the planned capacity of its pre-pilot line, dubbed QS-0, to over 200,000 cells per year. Moreover, QS-1, a articulation manufacturing facility with Volkswagen, volition start commercial operations in 2024-2025. As a refresher, QuantumScape had unlocked an additional $100 million in investment from Volkswagen (VW) back in March subsequently the European auto giant tested the sample solid-state battery cells in its labs in Germany, with the exam units managing to meet all pertinent technical thresholds.

As far as future operational guidance is concerned, the company noted in its letter to the shareholders:

"Going into 2022, nosotros believe our rest sail will enable us to fully fund QS-0, start QS-1 product at i GWh scale and contribute capital to the subsequent 20 GWh expansion of the QS-1 facility."

Source: https://wccftech.com/quantumscape-qs-has-started-testing-its-first-10-layer-70mm-by-85mm-solid-state-battery-cells-almost-6-months-ahead-of-schedule/

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