AUTONEWS

Bill Gates bet on solid batteries

Bill Gates' concern for the environment - among other causes - is well known, as well as the large amounts he invests annually through the foundation he maintains, with his wife Melinda. Regularly, the founder of Microsoft publishes his Gates Notes, in which he draws attention to certain problems, as well as the solutions he recommends and which he supports financially. This time, he pointed to solid batteries as the solution to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, considering QuantumScape an example of a leader in this technology.
The American company QuantumScape, created and led by Jagdeep Singh, bet from the beginning on solid batteries, those that instead of having a liquid electrolyte (where ions move between the cathode and anode, and vice versa), resort to a kind of glass, into which the ions can move much faster.
The most obvious and desired advantages have to do with the increase in capacity, which Jagdeep Singh estimates to double, which will correspond to about twice as much autonomy, depending on the batteries that the model currently uses. In addition to greater energy density, solid batteries will also allow you to recharge more quickly (with greater power) and prevent electrolyte leakage after violent impacts, which tend to cause fires.
According to the advanced example, with the batteries QuantumScape plans to launch soon, the e-Golf will increase the range 2.5 times, from 100 to 250 miles (from 161 to 402 km), while the Tesla (without specifying which model) increases 1.6 times, from 300 to 500 miles (from 483 to 805 km). This is equivalent to increasing the current capacity allocated to Tesla batteries from 260 Wh to 416 Wh.
Bill Gates is not the first to trust his reputation (and money) at QuantumScape, as Volkswagen has also invested in Singh's company. All because, in addition to the advantages already mentioned, these new batteries that QuantumScape says it will manufacture soon - it just doesn't reveal when - promise to be even cheaper and offer greater longevity.