QuantumScape Has An Osprey Up Its Solid-State EV Battery Sleeve

AI Summary

QuantumScape introduced Osprey, an all-solid-state battery cell combining its ceramic separator and anode-free lithium-metal design with a solid cathode. The platform may support licensing and co-development opportunities as the company advances EV battery technology toward commercial use.

Federal policy makers orchestrated an EV sales crash in the US last year, only to see electrification stakeholders gradually piece together a comeback focusing on cars that hit the affordability MSRP of $30,000 or less. New, higher-performing solid-state EV batteries are also inching their way into the market, the US startup Quantumscape contributing some fresh news. To Be Or Not To Be A Solid-State Battery As commonly understood, a solid-state battery replaces the liquid electrolyte of a conventional lithium-ion battery with a solid material. High tech ceramics have emerged as one of the options (see more solid-state background here). If that sounds like a deep electrochemical challenge, its is. Nevertheless, science loves a challenge, and so do electrification stakeholders who are determined to sharpen the contrast between EVs and gasmobiles. Compared to the current generation of EV batteries, solid-state technology meets a higher bar for energy density and other performance benchmarks, while avoiding the use of volatile chemicals. Quantumscape is among the solid-state innovators to untangle at least part of the solid-state puzzle. The company launched in 2010 and it surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar in 2012, when Volkswagen dropped word of its interest in the solid-state forumula. Quantumscape is known for its lithium-metal batteries, where the focus is on the separator, a layer that acts as a buffer for the liquid electrolyte in conventional batteries. While not 100% solid, the lithium-metal formula represents represents a significant step towards the next generation of EV batteries. “A solid-state lithium-metal battery...replaces the polymer separator used in conventional lithium-ion batteries with a solid-state separator. The replacement of the separator enables the carbon or silicon anode used in conventional lithium-ion batteries to be replaced with a lithium-metal anode,” QS explains. To ice the solid state cake, the QS anode does not make an appearance during the battery manufacturing process. It self-forms as part of the battery's first charging cycle. One Step Closer To The EV Battery Of The Future QS has accumulated a string of investors and affiliations since 2012, capped by a hookup with the legacy firm Corning last year aimed at developing a manufacturing system that accommodates its ceramic separator. The latest news takes QS farther into all-solid state technology, this time with a focus on the cathode, under the trade name Osprey. "Osprey pairs the QS proprietary ceramic separator and anode-free lithium-metal design with a solid cathode, creating an all-solid-state cell," the company explained in a press statement on November 11. "Osprey builds on the company’s QSE platform, and opens new licensing and co-development options for current QS customers and expanding its offering to developers of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries," the company elaborates. The QS blog further explains that Osprey is a "solid-state platform that allows developers of sulfide-based solid-state batteries to incorporate QS technology into their all-solid-state battery (ASSB) development programs." Don't get too excited just yet -- the cathode work is still in the early stages of validation -- but QS is confident enough to share its data with the public. In addition to safety improvements compared to conventional Li-ion batteries, QS checks a list of additional performance boxes for ASSBs: "Cycle life: 1,000 full charge cycles with ~80% capacity retention under gold-standard testing conditions Fast charging: 10% to 80% in five-minutes Low pressure: Requires only one atmosphere of pressure Cold-weather performance: Operational to less than -20 °C (-4 °F) Want more details? Check out QS blog, where the company takes a deeper dive into the new cathode. What Is This Sulfide Of Which You Speak? As for why QS is working the sulfide angle, that's a good question. "Sulfides can react with lithium metal, which shortens battery life, and they typically need to be held under high pressure to operate, which is impractical for vehicles and many other applications," QS notes. Despite those challenges, QS also notes the sulfide formula continues to attract widespread interest in the solid-state field, due to its high level of conductivity and ease of processing. If all goes according to plan, the Osprey platform will enable solid-state battery developers to continue pursuing sulfide to their hearts' content. “The industry has invested heavily in sulfide-based batteries but keeps hitting the same fundamental limits," explains QS president and CEO Dr. Siva Sivaram, "As the data shows, Osprey can address these limitations." As another indication that sulfide stakeholders are not out chasing rainbows, take a look at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, part of a sprawling network of research facilities under the umbrella of the US Department of . ORNL is part of the team behind new research published in the journal Nature under the