QuantumScape Stock Surges on Solid-State Battery Speculation

QuantumScape shares rallied for a second consecutive session, climbing 1% in pre-market trading after Thursday's 18% surge. The lithium-metal battery developer has now delivered 133% year-to-date gains as investors bet on its potential to revolutionize EV power systems.

Market enthusiasm ignited after Panasonic revealed parallel research into anode-free solid-state batteries capable of extending Tesla Model Y range by 90 miles. The technological overlap fueled speculation about a possible QuantumScape partnership, though neither company confirmed collaboration talks.

Volkswagen's recent showcase of QuantumScape's QSE-5 cells powering a Ducati motorcycle briefly propelled shares 20% higher earlier this month. However, the rally proved ephemeral as skeptical investors questioned the demonstration's commercial viability, triggering a 12% retreat within 48 hours.