New York, June 21, 2026, 14:03 EDT
- QuantumScape finished at $8.04, jumping 16.52% after the Honda news came out before the U.S. long weekend.
- Honda R&D signed a multi-year joint research deal with QuantumScape after wrapping up a hands-on technical review of the company’s battery platform, QuantumScape said.
- U.S. stock markets stayed closed on Friday for Juneteenth. They are also shut Sunday. Nasdaq is set to open at its usual time, with normal trading hours Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.
QuantumScape Corp. opened the new week with shares reflecting Thursday’s big Honda boost, a move that came right before the Juneteenth holiday and weekend. The stock ended June 18 at $8.04, up from $7.09 on Friday, after dropping early in the week before turning higher.
QuantumScape shares moved after the company announced a joint research deal with Honda R&D aimed at working on its solid-state lithium-metal battery technology and related manufacturing. Honda R&D’s Atsushi Ogawa said the platform had “compelling and unique advantages.” QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram described Honda’s review as “one of the most rigorous assessments” yet for the technology. QuantumScape
QuantumScape is still traded on technical progress instead of earnings. Solid-state batteries use a solid rather than a liquid electrolyte, which can boost energy density, speed up charging, and improve safety. No mass-market production yet. Shares jumped 16.5%. The gain looked big on a Thursday when the S&P 500 was up 1.1% and the Dow edged higher by 0.1%.
Honda puts another big car company in QuantumScape’s corner, but the market still isn’t convinced. The deal alone doesn’t show QuantumScape can mass-produce cells at the right price or to automaker specs.
Competition in the space is picking up. Volkswagen’s PowerCo has a route to license and ramp up QuantumScape tech. Solid Power is pushing ahead on all-solid-state battery tests with Samsung SDI and BMW. Toyota and Idemitsu target 2027-2028 for starting solid-state battery output for EVs, they said.
QuantumScape’s scorecard moves forward, but still looks early. In its Q1 shareholder letter, the company said it finished installing its Eagle Line pilot line and started making first QSE-5 cell volumes. It plans to ramp up QSE-5 output in Q2. Corning energy-materials program director Jamie Huang-Chu said partners can help deliver a “better battery at a competitive price.” The letter also reported a net loss of $100.8 million for Q1, liquidity of $904.7 million, and full-year adjusted EBITDA loss guidance of $250 million to $275 million. Adjusted EBITDA here means loss or profit before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, along with company adjustments.
But there’s still a clear downside. QuantumScape said in its latest quarterly filing it hasn’t brought in revenue from its main business as of March 31. The company also warned commercial cells could have defects, customers might not finish validation, and material production isn’t likely soon. That gap remains for the stock.
For the coming week, traders are watching to see if Thursday’s move sticks when U.S. markets open Monday. The NYSE’s main session runs 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern. No market holiday is on the calendar until July 3 for Independence Day.
Investors are watching for something less obvious. Honda’s engineering tie-up needs to move into more development work, more customer test runs, and steady output from the Eagle Line to back up a licensing pitch. The Honda deal adds to the story’s credibility. But it puts more pressure on the company to deliver proof.
