Volkswagen and its battery subsidiary PowerCo on Monday presented the production-ready version of their in-house “unified cell,” which will debut in small electric cars from Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra, while also outlining plans to integrate solid-state technology into vehicles by the end of the decade.
The new prismatic cell, first announced in 2021, is set to enter series production at Volkswagen’s Salzgitter gigafactory later this year, with additional production in Valencia, Spain and St. Thomas, Canada to follow. Volkswagen said the unit cell has an energy density of 660 Wh/l, around 10% higher than previous volume-segment cells, and is designed for use in up to 80% of the group’s EVs across different brands and markets.
“Precursors such as the cathode material also come from European production. This will make the Unified Cell a milestone for the European automotive industry, which has hardly been represented in battery technology so far,” the company said. Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo, added: “The battery cell is a key technology of the 21st century and plays a crucial role for the future of the European automotive industry. Technologically, our first series battery cell is absolutely on par with the established competitors.”
The Wolfsburg-based carmaker also showcased a Ducati electric motorcycle fitted with a solid-state battery developed with QuantumScape, in which Volkswagen holds a significant stake. The prototype, based on the Ducati V21L, incorporates up to 980 of QuantumScape’s QSE-5 cells, which feature a lithium metal anode and ceramic separator. The company said it plans to use motorcycles as test platforms before bringing solid-state technology into passenger cars.
“Together with our partner QuantumScape, we aim to industrialize the technology and to take the next step towards series production,” said Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology. “With PowerCo’s Unified Cell, we have created the perfect match: it is ‘solid state-ready’ and enables rapid technology transfer to the Group’s vehicles as soon as the solid-state battery is ready.”
QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram said: “Today, QuantumScape solid-state batteries moved closer to commercial reality. Our focus now is on bringing this technology to market and redefining what high-performance electric mobility can be.”