QuantumScape Corporation, an industry leader in next-generation solid-state lithium metal battery technology, hosted a symposium recently to discuss and strengthen the solid-state battery ecosystem, bringing together notable participants including battery equipment and materials vendors, government leaders and automotive industry customers. The Solid-State Batteries Symposium highlighted the critical role this next-generation technology plays in driving future energy storage solutions for the automotive industry.
The symposium featured speeches from Kyoto City Mayor Koji Matsui, METI Director-General for Commerce and Information Policy Bureau Satoshi Nohara, QuantumScape CEO Dr. Siva Sivaram, and battery industry experts.
Mayor Matsui commented, “Kyoto City has been working to promote innovation in the environmental and energy fields by leveraging the accumulation of knowledge from companies, universities, and other sources in order to move towards a sustainable future. I hope that QuantumScape, a leader in research and development of solid-state batteries, essential for next-generation EVs, will use Kyoto as its base to create revolutionary technologies that will pave the way to the future. Kyoto City will also work to support startups and encourage business location, attracting a diverse range of people and companies from all over Japan and the world, and accelerating innovation.”
Furthermore, METI Director-General Nohara added, “Solid-state batteries are a game-changing technology that can deliver performance that far exceeds that of conventional lithium-ion batteries. In Japan, our storage battery industry strategy has set a target of commercializing solid-state batteries by around 2030, and the public and private sectors are working together to achieve this. We believe that the fact that a diverse range of members from Japan and abroad gathered at this symposium to share and discuss efforts toward the commercialization of solid-state batteries is extremely significant for Japan to maintain and secure its position as a technological leader in this field while deepening global collaboration.”
“Japan has a rich history of battery technology innovation, and QuantumScape is leading the effort toward solid-state battery development and commercialization,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, CEO of QuantumScape. “We are honored to be able to engage with so many Japanese leaders in conversations about how we can leverage Japan’s excellence in battery science and supply chain networks to accelerate progress toward a cleaner, more efficient future.”
Batteries are a central technology in the transportation revolution, but traditional lithium-ion batteries fall short of the automotive industry’s needs in several areas and have limited performance. QuantumScape’s solid-state lithium metal batteries charge faster, provide longer driving ranges and are designed to operate safer than lithium-ion batteries. The company opened a new facility in Kyoto in 2022 and has been partnering with battery equipment manufacturers and material suppliers in the Asia-Pacific region for many years.
