QuantumScape debuts Ducati’s first motorcycle powered by solid-state batteries at IAA Mobility 2025
A big moment for electric performance bikes just arrived in Munich. QuantumScape, working with PowerCo, has unveiled a Ducati V21L prototype running entirely on QSE-5 solid-state battery cells. Shown during Volkswagen’s press conference at IAA Mobility 2025, the bike marks a major step in moving solid-state technology from R&D labs to real-world vehicles and toward future series production.
The QSE-5 cells inside the Ducati were produced on QuantumScape’s pilot line in San José using the company’s proprietary Cobra process. This is the first time these anode-free solid-state cells have been integrated into a functional vehicle, underscoring tangible progress toward commercialization. As QuantumScape’s president Dr. Siva Sivaram put it, the company has crossed a threshold from possibility to reality. Ducati’s role as a demonstration partner brought valuable motorsports expertise to help validate the technology in a high-performance setting.
Why this matters for electric motorcycles and EVs in general comes down to the two pain points riders and drivers care about most: range and charging time. According to QuantumScape, the QSE-5 solid-state batteries can charge from 10% to 80% in about twelve minutes. Combine that fast-charging capability with high energy density and long cycle life, and you have a recipe aimed at delivering more riding range, shorter stops, and better durability over time.
PowerCo, Volkswagen’s battery-focused subsidiary, reinforced the significance of the demonstration. CEO Frank Blome stated that solid-state batteries will redefine what’s possible for high-performance, premium vehicles, framing the Ducati reveal as the start of a broader shift. To speed up industrialization, PowerCo plans to invest an additional US$131 million in QuantumScape over the next two years. The funding is structured around milestones tied to advancements on the pilot production line, a strategy meant to keep progress tightly aligned with real manufacturing outcomes.
The goal is clear: scale anode-free solid-state battery production to the gigawatt-hour level in the medium term and integrate the technology into future vehicles from Volkswagen and Ducati. Achieving that would represent a major leap for electric mobility, offering lighter, more energy-dense packs with rapid charging—key ingredients for performance motorcycles where weight, packaging, and thermal management are critical.
For Ducati enthusiasts, the V21L platform demonstrates how high-performance electric motorcycles could evolve without sacrificing the brand’s racing-inspired DNA. For the wider EV market, the reveal shows that solid-state batteries are moving beyond concept cells into working systems tested in demanding use cases.
Key takeaways:
– First Ducati motorcycle powered entirely by QuantumScape’s QSE-5 solid-state cells, shown at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich
– Cells produced on QuantumScape’s San José pilot line using the Cobra process, marking their first integration into a functional vehicle
– Claimed 10% to 80% charging in about twelve minutes, paired with high energy density and long cycle life
– PowerCo to invest US$131 million over two years, with milestone-based funding to accelerate industrialization
– Medium-term plan to scale to gigawatt-hour production and adopt the technology in future Volkswagen and Ducati models
From a single prototype to future production, the path is becoming clearer. If QuantumScape and PowerCo can deliver on scaling, riders and drivers could soon see solid-state performance where it matters most: on the road and track, with faster charging, longer range, and the kind of durability that makes electric vehicles more compelling than ever.
