Continuing the quest to find a better EV battery solution

Volkswagen and Xanadu to work on new EV battery tech using quantum algorithms and simulations.

Battery chemistry is a hot topic for EV makers and academics for efficiency and its commercial applications. Partnerships and co-developments are taking place at a rapid pace between EV makers and technology suppliers worldwide. In the race to stay ahead, the synergies of the business association is vital for both the creator and promoter.

The global battery market is highly dynamic and will grow by 12 percent each year, reaching 200 billion Euros by the year 2040. 

The latest partnership news in this direction comes from Volkswagen Group and Canada-based quantum technology company Xanadu. Both companies have established a long-term research programme to improve the performance of quantum algorithms for simulating battery materials.

The top priority is to reduce computational costs and accelerate Volkswagen's adoption of quantum computers to develop battery materials that are safer, lighter, and more cost-effective.

Accurate and efficient simulation of battery materials is an industrywide challenge that could benefit from the arrival of fault-tolerant quantum computers. Existing classical methods, such as density-functional theory, have been the cornerstone of computational chemistry for several decades, but despite their many successes, are reaching limitations on research areas critical for building much better batteries.