QuantumScape unveils Osprey platform with 1,000-cycle lifespan — Electrek
QuantumScape has unveiled the Osprey platform for all-solid-state battery cells. According to the company, a two-layer cell withstood 1,000 full charge and discharge cycles while retaining about 80% of its initial capacity at an external pressure of one atmosphere, Electrek reports.
In the new design, QuantumScape replaced the liquid catholyte in the cathode with a solid sulfide electrolyte. The company retained the ceramic separator and anode-free architecture: during the first charge, lithium is deposited on the separator side. The QSE platform, including the QSE-5 cell, uses a high-nickel NMC cathode and a liquid catholyte, so it is not an all-solid-state system.
Two-layer cell testing
The 1,000-cycle test was conducted on a two-layer cell with a cathode measuring 50 by 65 mm — the same area as the QSE-5. Testing took place at 30°C, across a 0% to 100% state-of-charge range, at a 1C rate during charging and discharging. The cathode areal loading was 5.5 mAh/cm².
At the same time, it was a small laboratory cell: Electrek estimates its capacity at about 0.3–0.4 Ah, whereas the QSE-5 has approximately 5 Ah. QuantumScape emphasizes operation at low external pressure, as sulfide systems often require strong mechanical compression to maintain contact between components. According to the company’s calculation, pressure of 20 atmospheres on a cell measuring 10 by 24.2 cm corresponds to a force of about 5,000 kgf and requires massive steel plates and tie rods in the battery pack.
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Conditions for the stated specifications
The five-minute charge from 10% to 80% reported by QuantumScape was demonstrated at a 10C rate and a temperature of 80°C. The company has not released data on an equivalent result at room temperature. Operation at temperatures down to −20°C was tested on a single-layer cell with a 21 by 21 mm cathode: during slow C/3 discharge, it retained 68% of the capacity measured at room temperature.
The energy density figure of up to 1,100 Wh/L is a QuantumScape projection. A confirming test with a high-loading cathode was conducted on an 11 mm cell, at a pressure of three atmospheres and over 100 cycles. The Osprey platform has so far been demonstrated at laboratory scale, while technologies for more productive manufacturing are under development.
QuantumScape offers Osprey as an open platform: automakers can use either the company’s cathode or their own solid-state cathodes. No timeline for Osprey’s industrial launch has been announced. For the QSE-5, the company plans a 100 MWh production line, with manufacturing set to begin in 2028.
