QuantumScape, a battery manufacturer based in the United States, is moving forward with plans for a commercial-scale 100-megawatt-hour solid-state battery production facility. The company has identified AI data centers, aerospace, and defense applications as key markets for these cells. Manufacturing operations are slated to commence in 2028. Mühlbauer Group, a German equipment supplier, will provide the machinery needed for cell assembly.
The production facility will leverage manufacturing know-how and processes developed through QuantumScape's existing pilot operation. Mühlbauer has already examined the current setup in San Jose and adapted its systems to accommodate larger-scale manufacturing. QuantumScape indicates that teams are actively engaged in engineering work aimed at optimizing processes and equipment for increased production capacity.
Pilot Line Demonstrates Manufacturing Viability
QuantumScape opened its highly automated Eagle Line facility in San Jose on February 4, 2026. The facility employs the proprietary "Cobra process" for producing the company's separator technology. Currently, the pilot operation is manufacturing cells and distributing test samples to customers. Beyond production, the facility functions as a testing ground for product validation, customer integration work, and continuous refinement of manufacturing techniques. The company envisions the Eagle Line as a template that licensing partners can follow when constructing their own gigawatt-hour-scale factories.
QuantumScape's lithium-metal battery technology is engineered to deliver superior energy density, quicker charge times, and enhanced safety characteristics. The QSE-5 cell variant produced on the Eagle Line achieves energy densities of 844 Wh/L and 301 Wh/kg, according to company measurements. These performance metrics were obtained from earlier B-sample cells tested at 25°C with a five-hour discharge cycle.
Source: Battery-News
