PowerCo, Ducati and Audi have showcased an extensively modified all-electric Ducati motorcycle based on the Ducati V21L–the prototype protagonist of the FIM MotoE World Championship from 2023.
Story: Salman Bargir
PowerCo SE, the battery company of the Volkswagen Group, premiered the world’s first live demonstration of QS solid-state lithium-metal batteries powering an extensively modified all-electric Ducati, based on the Ducati V21L, at the ongoing IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) Mobility in Munich.
The battery system has been designed from scratch to meet the requirements of the solid-state battery and can now be equipped with up to 980 QSE-5 cells from QuantumScape. The QSE-5 cells are in QuantumScape’s proprietary ‘FlexFrame’ format, a hybrid of conventional prismatic and pouch designs, which allows each cell to be packed tightly next to its neighbouring cell.
Thomas Schmall, Group Board Member Technology, emphasised, “The solid-state battery has the potential to become a game changer in e-mobility. Together with our partner QuantumScape, we aim to industrialize the technology and to take the next step towards series production. With PowerCo’s Unified Cell, we have created the perfect match: it is “solid state-ready” and enables rapid technology transfer to the Group’s vehicles as soon as the solid-state battery is ready. The Group’s battery strategy is pioneering and at the same time offers unprecedented economies of scale.”
QuantumScape Corporation is a global leader in next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology. Their solid-state technology with lithium metal anode and ceramic separator is not just an evolution of conventional lithium-ion batteries, but also fundamentally a new cell technology. It could potentially offer significant advantages in terms of energy density, fast charging capability, safety and lifecycle.
Siva Sivaram, CEO QuantumScape, said, “Today, QuantumScape solid-state batteries moved closer to commercial reality. For more than a decade, we’ve worked closely with the Volkswagen Group to advance our breakthrough technology that delivers the range, fast charging, and safety that EV drivers want. Our focus now is on bringing this technology to market and redefining what high-performance electric mobility can be.”
Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, stated, “At Ducati, we have a long history of pushing the boundaries of technology to improve the riding experience both on the road and on the racetrack. Our pursuit of innovation has allowed us to achieve incredible results, including the record of six consecutive MotoGP Constructors’ titles. The high energy density achieved with solid state technology is a perfect fit for a high-performance vehicle like a sports motorcycle.”
The electric Ducati offers a glimpse of the future of e-mobility with longer ranges and shorter charging times. Its battery technology includes 844 Wh/L energy density, fast charging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent state of charge in just over 12-minutes and 10C continuous discharge capabilities. Further development steps are still necessary before vehicles with solid state battery cells go into series production.
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