US solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has signed a joint research agreement with Honda R&D aimed at advancing its lithium-metal solid-state battery platform and associated manufacturing processes.
The agreement establishes a multi-year programme bringing together QuantumScape’s technology with Honda’s engineering and manufacturing expertise. According to the companies, the collaboration follows an extensive evaluation and benchmarking exercise carried out by Honda.
Atsushi Ogawa, chief operating officer of the Research Center of Excellence at Honda R&D, said: “QS technology demonstrated compelling and unique advantages during our evaluation. We see potential for QS technology to add value across a range of applications, including automotive, and we are excited to move forward into the next phase of our partnership.”
QuantumScape chief executive and president Siva Sivaram said the agreement represented further validation of the company’s approach.
Combining Honda’s engineering expertise with Quantumscape’s battery technology
“By combining Honda’s deep expertise in engineering and manufacturing with our advanced battery technology, we believe we can accelerate the path toward higher-performance, more efficient energy storage solutions,” he said.
The announcement adds another major automotive partner to QuantumScape’s portfolio. The California-based company already has a long-standing relationship with Volkswagen and, in 2024, agreed a non-exclusive licensing arrangement with Volkswagen battery subsidiary PowerCo covering industrialisation of its technology. The deal included an initial annual production capacity target of 40GWh, with the option to double this to 80GWh.
Honda has been investing heavily in all-solid-state batteries and opened a pilot production line in Tochigi, Japan, as part of its strategy to commercialise the technology towards the end of the decade. The automaker has previously said it expects solid-state batteries to double EV driving range by the late 2020s and to reduce battery size, weight and cost significantly.
QuantumScape is developing lithium-metal cells using a proprietary ceramic separator, which the company says can enable higher energy density, faster charging and improved safety compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries. The company inaugurated its automated Eagle Line pilot production facility earlier this year to support customer sampling and scale-up activities.
No financial details of the Honda agreement were disclosed.
Photo: the Super-N electric city car launches in Europe this year. The photo is for illustrative use only, as this car will likely not be offered with a solid-state battery option
Credit: Honda
