QuantumScape

QuantumScape was founded in 2010 by Jagdeep Singh, Tim Holme and Professor Fritz Prinz of Stanford University.{{cite web|title=QuantumScape Corp|website=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/0561526D:US|url-status=|access-date=|archive-url=|archive-date=}} In 2012, QuantumScape began working with German automaker Volkswagen.

In 2018, Volkswagen invested $100 million in the company, becoming the largest shareholder. In the same year, Volkswagen and QuantumScape announced the establishment of a joint production project to prepare for mass production of solid-state batteries.{{Cite web|last=Wayland|first=Michael|date=September 3, 2020|title=Bill Gates-backed vehicle battery supplier to go public through SPAC deal|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/03/bill-gates-backed-ev-battery-supplier-to-go-public-through-spac-deal.html|access-date=September 9, 2020|publisher=CNBC|language=en}} In June 2020, Volkswagen invested an additional $200 million.{{cite web|title=VW-Partner QuantumScape geht an die US-Börse|url=https://www.electrive.net/2020/09/04/vw-partner-quantumscape-geht-an-die-us-boerse/|url-status=|access-date=|archive-url=|archive-date=|last=Philipp K|date=September 4, 2020|language=de-DE}}

In 2020, QuantumScape merged with the special-purpose acquisition company Kensington Capital Acquisition. As a result of the merger, QuantumScape received $1 billion in financing, from investors including Volkswagen and the Qatar Investment Authority. At the same time, the company's shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol QS.{{cite web|title=QuantumScape's Merger With Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp – Global Legal Chronicle|url=https://www.globallegalchronicle.com/quantumscapes-merger-with-kensington-capital-acquisition-corp/|url-status=|access-date=|archive-url=|archive-date=|last=Ambrogio Visconti|date=September 7, 2020 |language=en-US}} In the last quarter of 2020, QuantumScape briefly surpassed the valuation of Ford Motor Co. without a commercial product and without revenue.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2021-quantumscape-battery/|title=QuantumScape says its technology is ready to move from the lab to VW's dealerships. But this secretive startup is very familiar with failure|author=Akshat Rathi|date=April 14, 2021|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=August 1, 2021}}

On April 15, 2021, hedge fund Scorpion Capital announced their short position in the stock, labeling the company a pump-and-dump scheme.{{Cite web|last=Lenihan|first=Rob|title=QuantumScape Falls on Scorpion Capital Short Report|url=https://www.thestreet.com/investing/quantumscape-qs-stock-scorpion-short-report|access-date=April 15, 2021|website=TheStreet|date=April 15, 2021 |language=en-us}}

On June 26, 2022, the company announced the production of a solid-state battery with a range of 650 km and a charge time of 15 minutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a40230247/solid-state-batteries-electric-vehicles/|title=A Revolutionary Solid-State Battery Is Nearly Here, Scientists Say|author=Eric Tegler|date=June 21, 2022|access-date=July 1, 2022}}

At the beginning of 2024, Volkswagen and QuantumScape presented a battery prototype in a press release based on the technologies developed by QuantumScape, which has 1000 charging cycles with only 5% capacity loss and an energy density that is at least a third higher.{{Cite web |title=Feststoffzelle von Quantumscape besteht laut VW Härtetest |url=https://www.golem.de/sonstiges/zustimmung/auswahl.html?from=https://www.golem.de/news/1-000-ladezyklen-feststoffzelle-von-quantumscape-besteht-laut-vw-haertetest-2401-180786.html&referer=https://de.wikipedia.org/ |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=www.golem.de}} In July 2024, VW PowerCo and QS announced an agreement for volume production. The initial goal is 40 gigawatt-hours’ worth of batteries per year.{{Cite web |last=Casey |first=Tina |date=2024-07-12 |title=New QuantumScape Solid-State EV Battery Exposes EV Sales Flop Fakery, Again |url=https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/12/new-quantumscape-solid-state-ev-battery-exposes-ev-sales-flop-fakery-again/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=CleanTechnica |language=en-US}}

In October 2024, QuantumScape introduced a prototype of their first planned commercial product they are calling QSE-5. The QSE-5 B-sample cell has a measured cell energy of 21.6 Watt-hours (Wh) at C/5 discharge rate and 25 °C. This is divided by the cell volume to get the volumetric energy density of 844 Wh/L or by the cell mass to get the gravimetric energy density (also called specific energy) of 301 Wh/kg. {{Cite web |last=QuantumScape |date=2024-10-23 |title=A First Look at the QSE-5 B Sample |url=https://www.quantumscape.com/blog/a-first-look-at-the-qse-5-b-sample/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=QuantumScape |language=en-US}}

The battery uses a lithium metal anode. The solid-state ceramic separator prevents dendrites and does not react with lithium. An organic liquid electrolyte then envelops the cathode.

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Category:2010 establishments in California

Category:2020 initial public offerings

Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange

Category:American companies established in 2010

Category:Electronics companies established in 2010

Category:Electric vehicle battery manufacturers

Category:Electronics companies of the United States

Category:Manufacturing companies based in San Jose, California

Category:Solid-state batteries

Category:Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:Special-purpose acquisition companies