Solid-state battery retains 95% capacity over 1,000 charge cycles in VW tests that could resurrect the used EV market

Besides higher energy density that would allow electric cars to cover nearly twice the current average range in the same footprint, solid-state EV batteries should be faster charging and much more durable, too, at least in theory.

Volkswagen just reported that the theory has been proven right in practice, after running months of endurance tests on the solid-state battery cells that its PowerCo commercialization partnership with QuantumScape procures.

The solid-state battery that PowerCo tested independently in VW's Salzgitter facilities, confirmed QuantumScape's claim that it can remain basically as good as new even after 300,000 miles of powering an electric vehicle. The solid-state cell retained 95% of its original capacity after the whopping 1,000 full charge and discharge cycles.

Solid-state battery lifespan

This is way more than the benchmark that current EV batteries are tested against - retaining 80% of their capacity after 700 cycles - and means that future owners of VW vehicles with solid-state cells will be able to use them way longer with the original battery. According to VW's PowerCo CEO Frank Blome:

These are very encouraging results that impressively underpin the potential of the solid-state cell. The final result of this development could be a battery cell that enables long ranges, can be charged super-quickly and practically does not age.

The 95% capacity retention of the solid-state battery over 1,000 cycles means that the current achievable 15-year lifespan of an EV battery before it hits 80% capacity could be prolonged practically indefinitely. This could essentially resurrect the rather sluggish second-hand electric vehicle market, since used EV prices will depreciate much slower as new electric cars retain their value way longer with battery degradation worries out of the way.

The CEO confirmed that VW is planning "series production" of the 24-layer cells with PowerCo's tailored manufacturing process. There are plenty of other solid-state battery commercialization projects in the pipeline by the likes of Toyota, too, with 2027 expected to be the year when the first mass-produced electric cars with solid-state batteries would hit the market.

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