New York, June 19, 2026, 04:20 (EDT)
- QuantumScape shares finished Thursday at $8.04, climbing 16.52% ahead of Nasdaq’s closure for Juneteenth on Friday.
- Honda R&D has signed a multi-year joint research deal with QuantumScape following technical evaluation and benchmarking.
- This week could show if investors see the Honda deal as proof of commercial value or step back after a quick rally in a company that still has to scale up production.
QuantumScape shares surged 16.52% to $8.04 on Thursday after the company announced an R&D deal with Honda, handing the solid-state battery firm its first obvious catalyst in months during the holiday-shortened trading week. Markets are shut Friday for Juneteenth, so investors will have to wait for Monday to see where the stock trades next.
Honda made its call after it finished looking at QuantumScape’s tech, not just after showing interest. QuantumScape said the joint project with Honda is a multi-year push on solid-state batteries and manufacturing techniques.
Solid-state lithium-metal batteries swap out parts found in regular lithium-ion cells for a solid-state separator and a lithium-metal anode. This setup is supposed to boost energy density, charging speed, and safety. QuantumScape says the QSE-5 is its first product aimed for commercial use. The company is still testing with automotive partners before the platform goes into actual EVs.
Honda R&D Chief Operating Officer Atsushi Ogawa said QuantumScape’s tech has “compelling and unique advantages.” QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram said Honda carried out “one of the most rigorous assessments” of its platform. GlobeNewswire
QuantumScape shares were choppy early in the week, ending Monday at $7.23 before dipping to $6.92 Tuesday and $6.90 Wednesday. The stock surged Thursday, with volume spiking to 85.4 million shares. The stock added roughly 13.4% for the short week compared to the previous Friday’s $7.09 close.
That rally pushed attention past Volkswagen. Volkswagen Group’s battery arm, PowerCo, made a 2024 deal with QuantumScape to bring the tech to scale, with plans to mass-produce cells if technical milestones and royalty payments happen. The move by Honda gives investors another big automaker to watch, though the announcement didn’t detail any financial terms.
Solid-state battery maker Solid Power climbed 6.3% Thursday. U.S.-listed Honda shares ticked up 0.3%. The moves suggest most of the action was in battery tech stocks, with less impact on the automaker.
The risk case remains clear. QuantumScape warned that hitting technical milestones and ramping up to commercial scale could run into problems, from high-volume production to quality, cost, and reliability, as well as uncertain EV demand. The company noted that a research agreement is not the same as a purchase order and doesn’t prove the cells will hit automotive scale or price targets.
QuantumScape is still spending. Chief Financial Officer Kevin Hettrich said in April the company posted a first-quarter GAAP net loss of $100.8 million. Hettrich said QuantumScape continues to see an adjusted EBITDA loss for 2026 between $250 million and $275 million. Adjusted EBITDA strips out items like interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
In the week ahead, the initial market question is whether the Honda news leads to more buying when trading resumes after the holiday, or if traders look to lock in profits after just one big move. The bigger question won’t get answered right away. Investors get another signal from an automaker, but they still want proof QuantumScape can move from tech validation to making batteries at scale—and bringing in revenue.
