---
title: "Volkswagen Aims for Solid-State Battery Production by 2025"
description: "Volkswagen wants to accelerate the development of solid-state batteries for electric cars."
date: "2018-06-25"
modified: "2018-06-25"
authors:
  - name: "Stephen Edelstein"
    job_title: "Weekend Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/21744/volkswagen-aims-for-solid-state-battery-production-by-2025"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Volkswagen News"
tags:
  - "Electric Cars"
  - "EV Batteries"
  - "Tech"
  - "Volkswagen"
---

# Volkswagen Aims for Solid-State Battery Production by 2025

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/03/volkswagen-i-d-vizzion-32.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Volkswagen is increasing its stake in California battery company QuantumScape in order to accelerate the development of solid-state batteries, which proponents claim will offer performance superior to the lithium-ion batteries used in current electric cars. VW hopes to set up a solid-state battery production line by 2025.

The automaker began investing in QuantumScape in 2012, and now plans to pour another $100 million into the U.S. company's coffers, according to a Volkswagen press release. Axel Heinrich, Head of VW Group Research, will also take a seat on QuantumScape's board.

As the name implies, solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries with a solid material. Proponents claim this offers greater potential energy density, meaning more electricity can be stored in a given space. Volkswagen predicts that solid-state batteries could increase the range of the current e-Golf to around 750 kilometers (466 miles), up from the 300 km (186 miles) the car is currently rated at on the European testing cycle (the e-Golf gets 125 miles of range on the stricter U.S. testing cycle).

VW claims a solid-state battery pack wouldn't have to be bigger than current lithium-ion battery packs to achieve that kind of range increase. Unlike the liquid lithium-ion electrolyte, the solid electrolyte is also nonflammable. But while Volkswagen claims to have tested QuantumScape batteries "at automotive rates of power," no supplier has developed a commercial-grade version of those batteries suitable for use in production electric cars yet.

Not that companies aren't trying. BMW has partnered [with Colorado-based Solid Power](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/17050/bmw-partners-with-us-based-company-to-develop-solid-state-batteries-for-evs>) to develop solid-state batteries. Fisker claims this new technology will give its EMotion electric car [500 miles of range](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/19002/henrik-fisker-talks-batteries-and-autonomous-transportation>). Toyota plans to use solid-state batteries [in its first mass-market electric car](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/12826/toyota-planning-long-range-electric-car-powered-by-solid-state-batteries-report-says>).

While VW aims to start solid-state battery production by 2025, the automaker isn't waiting that long to launch a wave of electric cars. A family of models based on VW's recent I.D. concepts will appear over the next few years, with the U.S. slated to get the I.D. Crozz crossover and Microbus-tribute I.D. Buzz in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Volkswagen plans to [launch 50 all-electric models](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/14260/the-volkswagen-group-will-offer-electrified-versions-of-its-entire-lineup-by-2030>) across multiple brands by 2025.

## Author
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/SAEdelstein>)