Solid-state battery passes 1,000-cycle mark

A solid-state lithium-metal battery developed by a US startup has completed more than 1,000 charging cycles while retaining more than 95 percent of its capacity. For an electric car with a range of 500-600 kilometers, according to standardized test procedures, this would correspond to a mileage of half a million kilometers. Industry standards target 700 charging cycles and a maximum capacity loss of 20 percent in the technology’s current stage of development.

The battery was developed by California-based Quantumscape and the tests were performed by Powerco, Volkswagen’s battery subsidiary. “These are very encouraging results that underpin the potential of the solid-state cell. The final result of this development could be a battery cell that enables long ranges, can be charged super-quickly and practically doesn’t age,” comments Powerco CEO Frank Blome.

Working together since 2012, Quantumscape and Powerco will now turn to scaling up the manufacturing process of Quantumscape’s technology.