Stable-state battery maker QuantumScape has introduced a plan to construct a brand new pilot battery manufacturing manufacturing unit in California.
QuantumScape
QuantumScape is a San Jose-based battery firm based 10 years in the past by Jagdeep Singh, a pc scientist and co-founder of Infinera Company, a significant telecom element provider, and Tim Holme, a Stanford-educated mechanical engineer.
The brief story is that they declare to have solved the solid-state battery drawback.
Stable-state batteries have lengthy been recognized to have the potential for larger capability than standard li-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes.
Nevertheless, the business has a number of challenges to beat with the intention to make solid-state viable, and QuantumScape claims to have solved all of them.
In a presentation final 12 months, QuantumScape unveiled impressive data about its current battery cells that has by no means been seen in solid-state batteries earlier than.
Additionally they introduced a plan to carry the product to quantity manufacturing in partnership with Volkswagen by 2024.
QuantumScape’s QS-0 Manufacturing unit
Right this moment, the corporate introduced a plan for a brand new pilot manufacturing manufacturing unit forward of the primary manufacturing unit:
“To assist with additional scale-up and primarily based on this current progress we’re happy to announce now we have determined to construct a pre-pilot line facility in San Jose, which we name QS-0.”
The plant can have a restricted capability of 100,000 cells per 12 months:
“QS-0 is meant to have a steady circulation, excessive automation line able to constructing over 100,000 engineering cell samples per 12 months. We anticipate to safe a long-term lease for a second constructing with roughly 200 thousand sq. ft within the second half of this 12 months and for QS-0 to be producing cells by 2023.”
However whereas the capability is proscribed, it can present cells for improvement work and assist design next-gen manufacturing gear:
“QS-0 will assist present the extra capability we’d like for our improvement work and can allow us
to speed up work on the next-generation of producing instruments. It can additionally present capability to make
sufficient batteries for lots of of long-range battery electrical check automobiles per 12 months. This may permit us to
present early cells to VW, in addition to different automotive companions, discover non-automotive purposes, and
assist de-risk subsequent business scale-up.”
They’re aiming for the following manufacturing unit, which goes to be commercial-scale with a lot larger capability, to be prepared to start out manufacturing in 2024.
QuantumScape plans to spend between $230 million and $290 million this 12 months to proceed the event of its battery cells and construct the QS-0 manufacturing unit.
Thanks to non-public funding from Volkswagen and a current SPAC deal to go public (NYSE: QS), they’ve loads of money to finance this funding.
Right here’s QuantumScape This fall 2020 shareholder letter for all the main points:
FTC: We use revenue incomes auto affiliate hyperlinks. More.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.