QuantumScape, one of the most well-known solid-state battery developers, shipped its first batch of 24-layer lithium-metal cells to electric vehicle manufacturers for in-house testing.

According to the company's official press release, these prototype cells are known internally as "A0" samples and represent QuantumScape's biggest milestone for 2022. Previously, the California-based startup managed to come up with a new cell format that allows the lithium metal to expand and contract during charge and discharge.

The company says this is a hybrid between prismatic and pouch cells, and it's one of the key improvements that allowed it to move forward with development and send its first batch of prototypes to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

As for energy storage, the same press release mentions that a single, 24-layer cell has a capacity "in the multi-amp-hour range," without expressing an exact value. This is understandable, considering the development of this technology still has a long way to go until it reaches mass production.

"While this milestone brings us closer to our ultimate goal, there's still a lot to do before this technology becomes a commercial product, and we now turn our attention to this important work," said Jagdeep Singh, CEO and co-founder of QuantumScape.