The solid-state battery sector has achieved a major milestone. California-based solid-state battery developer QuantumScape recently announced that it began shipping B1 sample batteries produced using its proprietary Cobra process to automakers in Q3 2025. These represent the company’s most advanced solid-state battery products to date, marking another critical step toward large-scale commercial application of solid-state battery technology.
According to QuantumScape’s announcement, these QSE-5 solid-state battery samples produced with the Cobra process are being tested in the company’s first vehicle program with Volkswagen Group, as well as in the Ducati V21L electric motorcycle testing program. Dr. Luca Fasoli, QuantumScape’s Chief Operating Officer, stated that the company is working together with partners to bring its groundbreaking solid-state lithium-metal battery technology to market as quickly as possible, and this announcement represents another critical step toward achieving the goal of revolutionizing energy storage.
The Cobra process represents a core breakthrough in QuantumScape’s solid-state battery technology. Compared to the previous Raptor process, the Cobra process delivers approximately 25 times faster heat treatment speeds while significantly reducing equipment footprint. This technology completed development and installation in late 2024, and was fully integrated into the company’s baseline production process in June 2025, reducing solid-state battery separator production time by a factor of ten and enabling the technology to be manufactured at gigawatt-hour scale.
QuantumScape’s battery development has evolved from Raptor to Cobra technology. The Raptor process enabled the company to achieve low-volume production of B Sample batteries, while the introduction of the Cobra process has paved the way for large-scale commercial production. This technology not only improves production efficiency but also significantly reduces manufacturing costs, creating favorable conditions for solid-state battery market adoption.
In addition to shipping B1 samples, QuantumScape revealed that it is installing a highly automated cell production pilot line called “the Eagle Line” at its San Jose headquarters. This production line will further validate the company’s scaled production capabilities and lay the foundation for future gigawatt-scale factory construction.
Solid-state batteries are viewed as an important direction for next-generation power battery technology. Compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries offer higher energy density, better safety performance, and longer service life. QuantumScape’s technological breakthrough, particularly the successful application of the Cobra process, has injected new confidence into the commercial prospects of solid-state batteries.
Industry analysts believe that QuantumScape’s collaboration with well-known automakers such as Volkswagen Group and Ducati, along with the successful shipment of B1 samples, indicates that solid-state battery technology is transitioning from the laboratory to practical application. With continued optimization of production processes and further cost reduction, solid-state batteries are expected to achieve mass production in the coming years, bringing revolutionary changes to the electric vehicle industry.
QuantumScape is expected to release its complete Q3 2025 financial report soon, which will detail the Cobra-based battery production milestone and the company’s financial position. According to previous information, the company still maintains sufficient cash reserves to continue advancing technology development and commercialization efforts.
