Batteries: "QuantumScape stock dropped to an all-time low after its manufacturing chief resigned" (QS)

From the Silicon Valley Business Journal, June 15:

Electric-vehicle battery developer QuantumScape Corp.'s stock sank to all-time lows this week following the departure of its manufacturing chief.

The San Jose company announced Friday that Celina Mikolajczak would be stepping down as an employee and head of its manufacturing operations and would instead serve on its scientific advisory board. The move was due to "differing management styles between the parties," QuantumScape said in a regulatory filing. 

The company's hiring last July of Mikolajczak, previously a top battery executive at Panasonic Holdings Corp., Tesla Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc., was seen as affirmation of its technology....

....MUCH MORE

Previously:
June 2020 (still private)
ICYMI: "Volkswagen sinks another $200 million into solid-state battery company QuantumScape"

We learned long ago that wonderful as a battery technology or manufacturing technique may sound, it is very hard for them to scale from lab to driveway. Hence the paucity of posts on batteries in recent years, it's interesting, even fascinating stuff but tough to make a buck from. Better to make your almost perfectly timed cobalt trade than hope for something new(ish) to scale up)
This is one that might....

September 2020
Volkswagen and Bill Gates Backed Battery Company Coming Public via SPAC

And a warning from InvestorPlace, September 25:
Kensington Capital Stock Looks Risky at This Point
New, highly promising technologies often fail to pan out
The fate of past, very promising technologies makes me wary of investing in Kensington Capital (NYSE:KCAC) at this point. The relatively high valuation of Kensington Capital stock and the recent tech sell-off also gives me pause.
For the uninitiated, those who buy Kensington Capital will eventually own the shares of battery development start-up QuantumScape.

November 2021
Soros Sells Longshot Battery Maker QuantumScape, Buys Property and Bank Stocks

The reason for our editorializing QuantumScape in the headline? From August's "World's Largest Battery Maker To Introduce New Sodium Ion Battery To Help Ease Lithium Shortages":

Here we are breaking our general rule against posting every 'breakthrough' or change in chemistry or manufacturing process for the second time in a week* but when it's CATL or Tesla you almost have to pay attention or risk getting stuck as the market moves away from you.

On the other hand we have no interest in something like QuantumScape which recently reiterated their target dates for commercialization as 2024 -2025. Too much can happen in the meantime.And a small underfunded company may not be able to react....

Over the years, breakthroughs in battery chemistry have been hard fought:

The status quo of electric cars: better batteries, same range

Electric Vehicles: Same Range as 1908, Wheee!