QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS), a leader in next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology, today announced it started customer shipments of Alpha-2 prototype battery cells, fulfilling a goal for 2024.
Alpha-2 prototypes are a significant milestone on the roadmap to deliver QSE-5, QuantumScape's first planned commercial product. QuantumScape entered the automotive qualification process in December 2022 after shipping A0 prototypes to customers. Alpha-2 prototypes integrate many of the company's significant component improvements made over the last year. The six-layer Alpha-2 prototype is more energy-dense than the earlier 24-layer A0 prototype. This is primarily due to higher-loading cathodes (i.e., packed with more active material) and more efficient packaging that optimizes the materials and space within the cell. The packaging improvements include tighter internal margins, thinner current collectors, and a slimmer design, all of which are integral to the final product.