Shares of QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE: QS) continued their remarkable rally on Thursday, June 26, rising nearly 19% to $6.80, following a 35% surge on Wednesday. The two-day rally marks a staggering 54% gain, driven by investor enthusiasm after the company announced a major breakthrough in its manufacturing process for solid-state lithium-metal batteries.
On Tuesday, QuantumScape revealed that its Cobra ceramic separator process has now become the new standard for its battery cell production lines. The company said Cobra significantly accelerates production throughput—processing battery cell components 25 times faster than earlier methods while requiring only a fraction of the equipment footprint. This development is expected to lay the foundation for QuantumScape to scale up to gigafactory-level production capacity.
CEO Siva Sivaram highlighted that Cobra will enable faster manufacturing, better battery life, shorter charging times, and reduced production costs. Solid-state batteries are considered the future of electric vehicle (EV) power sources, offering higher energy density and faster charging times compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
The announcement holds strategic importance for Volkswagen, which owns a 24% stake in QuantumScape and has invested $380 million in the startup since 2012. Volkswagen recently signed a deal to license QuantumScape’s manufacturing technology for mass production of solid-state batteries.
QuantumScape also stated that it has entered sampling agreements with other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including both mainstream and luxury automakers, signaling growing commercial interest.
The surge comes despite the stock being down over 40% over the last five years, even with this week’s jump. Analysts say this breakthrough could reinvigorate investor sentiment and renew optimism about QuantumScape’s long-term potential in the EV battery market.
