A Volkswagen news release full of new developments had an all-electric motorbike at the top of the list.
That's because the Ducati bike's battery is of a game-changing variety, according to the release and Interesting Engineering.
"We've crossed the threshold from possibility to reality," Siva Sivaram, CEO of California battery cell maker QuantumScape, said following a recent demonstration, per IE.
QuantumScape worked with Audi, Ducati, and Volkswagen battery subsidiary PowerCo to equip the motorbike with a promising solid-state power pack, with each company providing unique expertise. It's a first-time feat being heralded by the companies as a critical step to bringing the battery type to wider use, eventually in electric vehicles.
"Our focus now is on bringing this technology to market and redefining what high-performance electric mobility can be," Sivaram said in the release.
Solid-state batteries are touted for being lighter and safer, with faster charge times and longer lives than traditional lithium-ion packs, but a complicated and costly manufacturing process has hampered development, according to TopSpeed.
But innovations from Porsche, NASA, and others are pushing the tech to the brink of commercialization. QuantumScape and its partners now have another entry in the progress log, with potential for astounding performance.
"The high energy density achieved with solid-state technology is a perfect fit for a high-performance vehicle like a sport motorcycle." Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said in the release.
Solid-state packs differ from those using more common materials because they have a firm electrolyte, the middle portion of the pack where ions travel between the two electrodes. The absence of a flammable liquid midsection contributes to better safety, per TopSpeed.
QuantumScape's version uses a lithium metal anode with a ceramic middle, billed by the company as a "fundamentally new cell technology." Other types of lithium metal packs are being developed elsewhere, too.
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Sign me up 👍 QuantumScape is selling impressive performance with its version. IE reported that it can charge from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes, for example.
The partners plan to continue testing, with a race bike on the docket. The goal is to have a commercialized version for a car by the end of the decade, per the release.
Better-performing batteries are critical to continuing wider adoption of cleaner vehicles. BloombergNEF estimated that 22 million electric and plug-in hybrids will be sold globally this year, a 25% increase from 2024.
Each EV that replaces a gas guzzler prevents thousands of pounds of planet-warming fumes from being emitted. The tailpipe exhaust is linked by U.S. government-cited studies to a range of health problems in key organs, including the lungs and heart. Other research has even associated air pollution with dementia risks.
It's a great time to make the switch, as many states offer perks for buying and charging cleaner rides. That's in addition to up to $1,500 in annual gas and maintenance savings.
A lower-cost electric pickup — at $30,000 — is on the way from Ford. Slate is working on a $25,000 model, as well. And electric bikes are also a great way to commute around town, cutting pollution and saving up to $800 per year in just five weekly journeys. Certain states even offer incentives for e-bike purchases.
Ducati's demonstration bike may be the vanguard for more electric rides with state-of-the-art batteries.
"Our pursuit of innovation has allowed us to achieve incredible results," Domenicali said in the release.
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