QuantumScape & PowerCo Power Up a Ducati with Solid-State Tech

At IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, QuantumScape and PowerCo showed off a major step forward in EV battery tech: a Ducati motorcycle fitted with solid-state lithium-metal batteries, moving from lab concept into a live demonstration.

The motorcycle is a modified Ducati V21L race bike, equipped with QuantumScape’s QSE-5 solid-state cells, built using their “Cobra” production process. It was demonstrated during VW Group’s press conference, riding across the stage — signaling that this is more than just a static prototype.

Key Specs & Performance Promises

• Energy Density: ~844 Wh/L. That’s significantly higher than many current lithium-ion batteries.
• Fast Charging: It can charge from 10% to 80% state-of-charge in just over 12 minutes.
• Discharge Capability: Up to 10C continuous discharge, which means it can deliver high power draw continuously without overheating or excessive degradation.
• It marks one of the first “anode-free” solid-state battery systems to move from lab testing into a real vehicle (well, a motorcycle) demonstration.
• Combining QuantumScape’s battery innovation with PowerCo’s manufacturing scale could help accelerate bringing this tech to broader EV markets.
• The performance metrics (higher energy density, fast charging, and strong discharge) address many of the core limitations of current battery technologies.

What Still Remains To Be Seen

• This is a demo; it remains to be proven how well the batteries perform long-term in real-world conditions (heat, cold, vibration, repeated use).
• Cost and manufacturability at scale are still open questions, especially for “anode-free” solid-state designs, which tend to have manufacturing challenges.
• Integration in passenger cars (weight, safety, durability, lifecycle) might lag motorcycle demos, but this is a promising stepping stone.

This Ducati demo is a strong signal that solid-state battery tech is progressing beyond theoretical proofs. With QSE-5’s high energy density, fast charging, and robust discharge, QuantumScape + PowerCo are pushing the boundary for what EV batteries can do. If the challenges of cost, scale, and durability fall into place, this could be a turning point for electrified high-performance vehicles (and beyond).

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