Solid-state EV battery innovator QuantumScape Corp. QS has hit a major operational milestone, with the core equipment for its Eagle Line pilot production facility in San Jose now fully installed. This milestone signals tangible progress toward the manufacturing scale that investors have been waiting for.
The Eagle Line is QuantumScape’s highly automated production line for QSE-5 solid-state lithium-metal cells. In Q3’25, management noted that equipment installation was underway and on track for year-end. Yesterday, the company announced that the target had been met. With the core equipment now in place, the line moves into the next phase— ramping up toward meaningful output.
QuantumScape’s Cobra process, which is 25 times more productive than the earlier Raptor line, is integrated into the Eagle Line. In Q3, the company began shipping B1 samples built with Cobra. The Eagle Line extends that capability into a higher-volume environment. The company will formally inaugurate the Eagle Line in February 2026.
The Eagle Line also aligns with QS’s capital-light strategy. Rather than building massive factories itself, QuantumScape is developing the manufacturing architecture and processes that other companies—such as Volkswagen’s PowerCo—will eventually adopt.
For investors, the completion of installation provides a clearer picture of QS’s roadmap to scale. While ramping the line, validating output, and supporting larger sample volumes remain, the foundation is now set. The Eagle Line demonstrates that QuantumScape is progressing not just in solid-state chemistry, but in the infrastructure required to produce it at scale.
How QuantumScape’s Peers Are Advancing
Solid Power SLDP is making steady progress in scaling solid-state battery technology, focusing on both manufacturing and electrolyte innovation. In Q3, Solid Power announced a joint evaluation agreement with Samsung SDI and BMW, continued development on its SK On pilot line, and moved closer to commissioning its continuous sulfide electrolyte production line by 2026.
SES AI SES also had a notable quarter, highlighted by the acquisition of UZ Energy, a joint venture with Hisun, and the rollout of its latest Molecular Universe (MU-1) platform. With rising interest in MU-1’s AI-driven capabilities for accelerating battery material discovery, SES AI raised its 2025 revenue target to $20–$25 million.
The Zacks Rundown on QuantumScape
Shares of QS have jumped more than 145% year to date against the industry’s decline of 2%. While shares of Solid Power rose 180%, SES AI lost around 3% over the same timeframe.
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QuantumScape currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 3.64 on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 11 brokerage firms.
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See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for QS’ earnings has been revised over the past 90 days.
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The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
