Solid electrolyte battery maintains its charge

QuantumScape’s solid electrolyte battery, also known as a semi-conductor battery, retains over 95% of its capacity over 1,000 charge cycles.

Semiconductors are now considered a technology of the future, which will bring about the next revolution in the field of batteries. This technology promises increased range, faster charging times, and optimal safety. Recently, the American company QuantumScape reached a milestone, now confirmed by PowerCo: its semi-conductor cell far exceeded expectations set for test sample A by supporting more than 1,000 charge cycles. For an electric car with a range of 500 km to 600 km in WLTP cycle, this corresponds to a total distance of over half a million kilometers. At the end of the tests, the cell was barely worn and retained 95% of its capacity (discharge energy retention). The tests, which lasted several months, were conducted in PowerCo’s dedicated battery laboratories in Salzgitter, Germany.

The standardized testing procedure applied to the new battery cells emphasizes robustness. For this development phase, the objectives were set at 700 charge cycles with a maximum capacity loss of 20%. QuantumScape’s semi-conductor cell far exceeded these expectations during the last test. It also met other criteria, including fast charging capability, safety, and self-discharge rate. QuantumScape published the initial results in its Q3 2023 shareholder letter.

The tested semi-conductor cell consists of 24 layers, which already meets the goal set for mass production. The next step will involve refining and scaling up manufacturing processes. In principle, the unified cell concept developed by PowerCo for Volkswagen is also suitable for semi-conductor technology. The Group has been collaborating with QuantumScape since 2012 and is among the main investors in the start-up.

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