U.S. solid-state battery developer QuantumScape said it has signed a new development agreement with a top-10 global automaker, marking a further step in its efforts to bring solid-state battery technology into future electric vehicles, though the customer’s identity has not been disclosed.
The California-based company said the collaboration has been formalised through a joint development agreement (JDA), under which QuantumScape’s solid-state batteries will be evaluated and integrated into the automaker’s future vehicle programmes. In its latest annual review, QuantumScape described the deal as one of its most significant milestones of 2025, adding that it has signed another JDA this year with a different major automaker, also unnamed.
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For now, Volkswagen remains the only publicly confirmed automotive customer planning to use QuantumScape’s technology. The German carmaker has been an investor in the company since 2012 and currently holds about 16% of its shares, according to QuantumScape’s annual report.
Volkswagen’s battery unit PowerCo signed a licensing agreement with QuantumScape in July 2024 aimed at achieving gigawatt-hour-scale production of solid-state batteries. Initial testing of QuantumScape’s QSE-5 B-sample cell, which the company says offers an energy density of more than 844 Wh per litre and charging from 10% to 80% in about 12 minutes, is already under way in an electric motorcycle produced by Ducati, a Volkswagen Group brand.
“2025 has been a banner year for QS, and this JDA with a Top-10 automotive OEM customer is a fitting capstone for our successful commercial engagement efforts this year,” said Siva Sivaram, QuantumScape’s chief executive and president. “We intend to carry this momentum forward as we engage with customers and expand our stable of QS ecosystem partners.”
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The announcement comes days after QuantumScape said it had completed an automated pilot production line for its solid-state cells, which it views as a foundation for future commercialisation. The company has repeatedly said it does not plan to build large-scale factories itself, instead pursuing licensing partnerships with automotive and battery manufacturing partners such as PowerCo.
Solid-state battery developers, including QuantumScape, are racing to commercialise cells that promise higher energy density, faster charging and improved safety compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries. Unlike today’s batteries, solid-state designs replace liquid electrolytes with solid materials, a shift widely seen as critical to the next generation of electric vehicles.