QuantumScape (QS) has begun producing and shipping low volume B-sample cells for automotive customer testing—the company’s most important 2024 goal. These B-samples of QuantumScape’s first planned product, QSE-5, feature energy density of more than 800 Wh/L and are capable of fast charging from 10-80% in less than 15 minutes.

To the best of QuantumScape’s knowledge, these cells are the first anode-free solid-state lithium-metal cell design ever produced for automotive applications. QS says that the cell is capable of simultaneously delivering exceptional performance with respect to energy density, discharge power, charging speed, low-temperature performance, and safety.

QS delivered its first A-sample cells to multiple automotive OEMs and consumer electronics companies, including the Volkswagen Group’s PowerCo, in December 2022. These cells exceeded performance expectations.

All lithium-ion batteries expand and contract as they are charged and discharged, but the modules or packs into which they are built typically do not, QS notes. This means that the pressure the cell experiences will vary depending on state of charge, and the compressive force felt by the cell will impact its volume.

In the case of QSE-5, the cell is designed to operate in a range below 3.4 atm applied pressure, and the volumetric energy density figure reflects the dimensions of the cell at 100% state of charge when built into a fixed-volume module.

The QSE-5 is in the FlexFrame format, a hybrid of conventional prismatic and pouch designs, which allows each cell to pack tightly next to its neighbor.

After QS further improves upon its new B-sample design using feedback from prospective automotive customers, the company will move into the final phase prior to commercialization: C-sample production. During this phase, QS will put its cells to the most rigorous test to date in actual test vehicles.