Panasonic’s sudden pivot to anode-free solid-state batteries reignited comparisons with QS’s decade-long push in the same technology, with some traders suggesting the two could be on the same roadmap.
Speculation is swirling around QuantumScape, which jumped more than 3.3% in pre-market trading on Friday, after Panasonic Holdings said it is developing an anode-free solid-state battery that could extend Tesla’s Model Y driving range by nearly 90 miles.
Investors see the similarities with QuantumScape’s own decade-long push into anode-free lithium-metal cells as too close to ignore, fueling talk that the two companies could end up collaborating at scale.
Panasonic said its design, due for a sample run by fiscal 2027, eliminates the anode at the manufacturing stage, allowing a lithium-metal layer to form on first charge. That frees up room for more nickel, cobalt, and aluminum cathode material, boosting capacity by 25%. In practical terms, that could push a 350-mile Model Y to about 437 miles on the same battery pack.
QuantumScape has pitched nearly identical performance numbers. Its cells, targeted at 800-1,000 Wh/L energy density, could lift range from roughly 350 miles today to 400-500 miles per charge. The company stated that it has tested its architecture over 2 million times, secured 200 patents, and spent more than a decade refining its approach.
The timing has raised eyebrows. Just weeks ago, Panasonic’s CTO Tatsuo Ogawa dismissed solid-state EV batteries as “niche,” better suited to drones than cars. Now the company is promising “world-leading” EV capacity by 2027. That pivot aligns closely with QuantumScape’s “no compromise” mantra of combining high energy, fast charging, long life, safety, and cost-efficiency in a single battery platform.
Panasonic has dabbled in solid-state before. In 2023, it unveiled a version that could charge 20 times faster, hitting 10%–80% in three minutes, but it sacrificed energy density, making it unsuitable for cars. By contrast, QuantumScape has consistently argued its cells can deliver both fast charging and high range without compromise.
QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram, asked earlier this year about Tesla’s patents on anode-free tech, stopped short of naming customers but said: “It is good to see more people coming around to our way of thinking, and I want to leave it at that.”
The company also shares a board link with Tesla via JB Straubel, the EV maker’s former CTO and now Redwood Materials chief.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for QuantumScape was ‘extremely bullish’ amid ‘extremely high’ message volume.
One user argued that Panasonic’s sudden timeline for an anode-free solid-state battery mirrors QuantumScape’s roadmap, noting that QS is still the only company to demonstrate working cells.
They suggested the move looked more like alignment than competition, with QuantumScape bringing IP, Panasonic adding scale, and Tesla providing demand.
Another user pointed out that chatter about a potential Panasonic–Tesla–QuantumScape tie-up is growing, with one calling it a “homerun” if it materializes.
QuantumScape’s stock has more than doubled so far in 2025.
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