10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number: 001-39345

QUANTUMSCAPE CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	85-0796578
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
1730 Technology Drive San Jose, CA	95110
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (408) 452-2000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol (s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share	QS	The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The number of shares of the registrant’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share outstanding was 429,687,172, and the number of shares of the registrant’s Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share outstanding was 59,874,114, as of October 20, 2023.

Table of Contents

		Page
PART I.	FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.	Financial Statements (Unaudited)	2
	Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)	2
	Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited)	3
	Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity (Unaudited)	4
	Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)	5
	Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)	6
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	24
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	32
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	32
PART II.	OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	33
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	33
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	56
Item 3.	Defaults Upon Senior Securities	56
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	56
Item 5.	Other Information	56
Item 6.	Exhibits	57
Signatures		59

i

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “QuantumScape,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Report”) refer to the current QuantumScape Corporation and its subsidiaries.

The Company makes forward-looking statements in this Report and in documents incorporated herein by reference. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in or incorporated by reference in this Report, regarding the Company’s future financial performance, as well as the Company’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this Report, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “prospective,” “should,” “will,” “would,” the negative of such terms, and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions, hopes, beliefs, intentions and strategies regarding future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Report, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company and incident to its business. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make.

In addition, forward-looking statements in this Report and in any document incorporated herein by reference should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any subsequent date, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable laws.

As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, the Company’s actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include those discussed in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Report and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

1

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

QuantumScape Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

(In Thousands, Except per Share Amounts)

	September 30,			December 31,
	2023			2022
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents ($3,480 and $3,395 as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, for joint venture)	$	250,824		$	235,393
Marketable securities		876,612			826,340
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		10,129			10,591
Total current assets		1,137,565			1,072,324
Property and equipment, net		321,903			295,934
Right-of-use assets - finance lease		25,858			28,013
Right-of-use assets - operating lease		57,112			60,782
Other assets		23,327			18,353
Total assets	$	1,565,765		$	1,475,406
Liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	$	9,618		$	21,420
Accrued liabilities		10,025			7,477
Accrued compensation and benefits		18,938			13,061
Operating lease liability, short-term		4,886			3,478
Finance lease liability, short-term		2,829			1,373
Total current liabilities		46,296			46,809
Operating lease liability, long-term		58,881			62,560
Finance lease liability, long-term		35,859			38,005
Other liabilities		11,711			8,488
Total liabilities		152,747			155,862
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 7)
Redeemable non-controlling interest		1,749			1,704
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock- $0.0001 par value; 100,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022		—			—
Common stock - $0.0001 par value; 1,250,000 shares authorized (1,000,000 Class A and 250,000 Class B); 429,571 Class A and 59,874 Class B shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023, 358,505 Class A and 79,454 Class B shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022		49			44
Additional paid-in-capital		4,184,840			3,771,181
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(6,323	)		(17,873	)
Accumulated deficit		(2,767,297	)		(2,435,512	)
Total stockholders’ equity		1,411,269			1,317,840
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and stockholders’ equity	$	1,565,765		$	1,475,406

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

2

QuantumScape Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited)

(In Thousands, Except per Share Amounts)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Operating expenses:
Research and development	$	88,154		$	87,582		$	251,548		$	214,060
General and administrative		32,716			33,072			102,842			93,124
Total operating expenses		120,870			120,654			354,390			307,184
Loss from operations		(120,870	)		(120,654	)		(354,390	)		(307,184	)
Other income (loss):
Interest expense		(593	)		(600	)		(1,795	)		(1,807	)
Interest income		10,479			3,487			24,075			5,813
Other income (expense)		382			114			370			335
Total other income		10,268			3,001			22,650			4,341
Net loss		(110,602	)		(117,653	)		(331,740	)		(302,843	)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, net of tax of $0		15			7			45			(2	)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(110,617	)	$	(117,660	)	$	(331,785	)	$	(302,841	)
Net loss	$	(110,602	)	$	(117,653	)	$	(331,740	)	$	(302,843	)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		3,392			(2,933	)		11,550			(17,870	)
Total comprehensive loss		(107,210	)		(120,586	)		(320,190	)		(320,713	)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		15			7			45			(2	)
Comprehensive loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(107,225	)	$	(120,593	)	$	(320,235	)	$	(320,711	)
Basic and Diluted net loss per share	$	(0.23	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.73	)	$	(0.70	)
Basic and Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding		471,752			434,051			452,503			431,654

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

3

QuantumScape Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity (Unaudited)

(In Thousands)

	Redeemable  Non- Controlling			Common Stock				Additional Paid-In		Accumulated			Accumulated Other Comprehensive			Total Stockholders’
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023	Interest			Shares		Amount		Capital		Deficit			Loss			Equity
Balance as of June 30, 2023	$	1,734			447,386	$	45	$	3,855,602	$	(2,656,680	)	$	(9,715	)	$	1,189,252
Exercise of stock options		—			1,300		—		2,297		—			—			2,297
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units		—			3,259		—		—		—			—			—
Issuance of Class A Common Stock, net of issuance costs of $11.8 million		—			37,500		4		288,150		—			—			288,154
Stock-based compensation		—			—		—		38,791		—			—			38,791
Net income (loss)		15			—		—		—		(110,617	)		—			(110,617	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—			—		—		—		—			3,392			3,392
Balance as of September 30, 2023	$	1,749			489,445	$	49	$	4,184,840	$	(2,767,297	)	$	(6,323	)	$	1,411,269
	Redeemable  Non- Controlling			Common Stock				Additional Paid-In		Accumulated			Accumulated Other Comprehensive			Total Stockholders’
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023	Interest			Shares		Amount		Capital		Deficit			Loss			Equity
Balance as of December 31, 2022	$	1,704			437,959	$	44	$	3,771,181	$	(2,435,512	)	$	(17,873	)	$	1,317,840
Exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan		—			6,720		1		9,929		—			—			9,930
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units		—			7,266		—		—		—			—			—
Issuance of Class A Common Stock, net of issuance costs of $11.8 million		—			37,500		4		288,150		—			—			288,154
Stock-based compensation		—			—		—		115,580		—			—			115,580
Net income (loss)		45			—		—		—		(331,785	)		—			(331,785	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		—			—		—		—		—			11,550			11,550
Balance as of September 30, 2023	$	1,749			489,445	$	49	$	4,184,840	$	(2,767,297	)	$	(6,323	)	$	1,411,269
	Redeemable  Non- Controlling			Common Stock				Additional Paid-In		Accumulated			Accumulated Other Comprehensive			Total Stockholders’
Three Months Ended September 30, 2022	Interest			Shares		Amount		Capital		Deficit			Loss			Equity
Balance as of June 30, 2022	$	1,684			432,669	$	43	$	3,699,039	$	(2,208,786	)	$	(19,145	)	$	1,471,151
Exercise of stock options		—			1,437		—		1,967		—			—			1,967
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units		—			1,488		—		—		—			—			—
Stock-based compensation		—			—		—		33,578		—			—			33,578
Net income (loss)		7			—		—		—		(117,660	)		—			(117,660	)
Unrealized loss on marketable securities		—			—		—		—		—			(2,933	)		(2,933	)
Balance as of September 30, 2022	$	1,691			435,594	$	43	$	3,734,584	$	(2,326,446	)	$	(22,078	)	$	1,386,103
	Redeemable  Non- Controlling			Common Stock				Additional Paid-In		Accumulated			Accumulated Other Comprehensive			Total Stockholders’
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022	Interest			Shares		Amount		Capital		Deficit			Loss			Equity
Balance as of December 31, 2021	$	1,693			428,319	$	43	$	3,634,665	$	(2,023,605	)	$	(4,208	)	$	1,606,895
Exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan		—			3,480		—		6,934		—			—			6,934
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units		—			3,795		—		—		—			—			—
Stock-based compensation		—			—		—		92,985		—			—			92,985
Net loss		(2	)		—		—		—		(302,841	)		—			(302,841	)
Unrealized loss on marketable securities		—			—		—		—		—			(17,870	)		(17,870	)
Balance as of September 30, 2022	$	1,691			435,594	$	43	$	3,734,584	$	(2,326,446	)	$	(22,078	)	$	1,386,103

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

4

QuantumScape Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

(In Thousands)

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022
Operating activities
Net loss	$	(331,740	)	$	(302,843	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		31,177			18,975
Amortization of right-of-use assets and non-cash lease expense		5,825			5,671
Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on marketable securities		(10,855	)		4,504
Stock-based compensation expense		128,373			92,985
Impairment of fixed assets		6,342			7,806
Other		474			474
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other assets		(3,985	)		5,393
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued compensation		(5,544	)		9,516
Other long-term liabilities		(348	)		2,100
Operating lease liability		(2,270	)		311
Net cash used in operating activities		(182,551	)		(155,108	)
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment		(70,708	)		(121,004	)
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities		702,128			634,390
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities		1,477			15,105
Purchases of marketable securities		(731,461	)		(402,247	)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		(98,564	)		126,244
Financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan		9,930			6,934
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs paid		288,431			—
Principal payment for finance lease		(1,290	)		(809	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		297,071			6,125
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		15,956			(22,739	)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		252,916			338,223
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	268,872		$	315,484
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest	$	1,195		$	1,207
Purchases of property and equipment, not yet paid	$	7,289		$	13,828
Common stock issuance costs, accrued but not paid	$	277		$	—

The following presents the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash by category in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (amounts in thousands):

	As of September 30,
	2023		2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$	250,824	$	297,960
Other assets		18,048		17,524
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	268,872	$	315,484

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

5

QuantumScape Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

September 30, 2023

Note 1. Organization

The original QuantumScape Corporation, now named QuantumScape Battery, Inc. (“Legacy QuantumScape”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (as defined below), was founded in 2010 with the mission to revolutionize energy storage to enable a sustainable future.

On November 25, 2020 (the “Closing Date”), Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. (“Kensington”), a special purpose acquisition company, consummated the Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) dated September 2, 2020, by and among Kensington, Kensington Merger Sub Corp., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Kensington (“Merger Sub”), and Legacy QuantumScape.

Pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, a business combination between Kensington and Legacy QuantumScape was effected through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Legacy QuantumScape, with Legacy QuantumScape surviving as the surviving company and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kensington (the “Merger” and, collectively with the other transactions described in the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination”). On the Closing Date, Kensington changed its name to QuantumScape Corporation (the “Company”).

The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of its solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Planned principal operations have not yet commenced. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not derived revenue from its principal business activities.

Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) as determined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and pursuant to the regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

The Company’s policy is to consolidate all entities that it controls by ownership of a majority of the outstanding voting stock. In addition, the Company consolidates entities that meet the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which the Company is the related party most closely associated with and is the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the party who has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and who has an obligation to absorb losses of the entity or a right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. For consolidated entities that are less than wholly owned, the third party’s holding of an equity interest is presented as redeemable non-controlling interests in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity. The portion of net earnings (loss) attributable to the redeemable non-controlling interests is presented as net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Legacy QuantumScape was a single-legal entity prior to becoming a partner with Volkswagen in QSV Operations LLC (“QSV”). As noted in the section titled “Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest” below, Legacy QuantumScape determined QSV was a VIE for which it was required to consolidate the operations upon its formation in 2018. Following the closing of the Business Combination, the Company made the same determination and the Company continued to consolidate the operations of QSV in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 as the determination of the VIE has not changed.

All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

6

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements as well as reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates made by the Company include, but are not limited to, those related to the valuation of common stock prior to the Business Combination and valuation of awards under the Extraordinary Performance Award Program (the “EPA Program”), among others. The Company bases these estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

The accompanying interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023, the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, are unaudited. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual consolidated financial statements and, in management’s opinion, include adjustments consisting of only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2023 and its results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The financial data and the other financial information disclosed in the notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements related to the three-month and nine-month periods are also unaudited. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year or any other period.

These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in the Company’s audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed on February 28, 2023 (the “Annual Report”).

7

Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

QSV was incorporated as a limited liability company in 2018. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“VWGoA”), Volkswagen Group of America Investments, LLC (“VGA”) and Legacy QuantumScape executed a Joint Venture Agreement (“JVA”), effective September 2018, with the goal of jointly establishing a manufacturing facility to produce the pilot line of the Company’s product through QSV. In connection with this agreement, the parties also have entered into two operating agreements: (i) the Limited Liability Company Agreement of QSV to govern the respective rights and obligations as members of QSV and (ii) the Common IP License Agreement for the Company to license certain intellectual property pertaining to automotive battery cells as defined in the JVA to VWGoA, VGA and QSV.

Volkswagen is a related party stockholder (approximately 24.1% and 21.5% voting interest holder of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively). Upon the effectiveness of the JVA, each party contributed $1.7 million in cash to capitalize QSV in exchange for 50% equity interests.

The joint venture is considered a VIE with a related party and therefore the related party whose business is more closely related to the planned operations of the joint venture is required to consolidate the operations.

The Company determined its operations were most closely aligned with the operations of the joint venture and therefore has consolidated the results of QSV’s operations in its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity. QSV had minimal operations through September 30, 2023.

The Company classifies non-controlling interests with redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Company within temporary equity on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A, SEC Staff Announcement: Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities (“ASC 480-10-S99-3A”). The non-controlling interest was recorded outside of stockholders’ equity because the non-controlling interest provides the holder with put rights in the event of, amongst others, (i) the failure by the Company to meet specified development milestones within certain timeframes, (ii) the parties to the JVA cannot agree to certain commercial terms within certain timeframes, or (iii) a change of control of the Company, which such events are considered not solely within the Company’s control. The Company adjusts redeemable non-controlling interests for the portion of net loss attributable to the redeemable non-controlling interests. As of September 30, 2023, the redeemable non-controlling interest is equivalent to the value of Volkswagen's interest in the joint venture. The commercialization timeline originally contemplated in 2018 by the joint venture agreements, and by subsequent amendments, has changed, and at the time of filing of our Annual Report, certain milestones contemplated by the joint venture agreements had not been met. As a result, Volkswagen’s right to exercise its put rights has been triggered. If Volkswagen exercises such rights, the joint venture with Volkswagen and Volkswagen’s commitments to purchase output capacity from the joint venture would terminate, and we would be obligated to purchase Volkswagen’s interest in the joint venture for its book value. As of September 30, 2023, the book value of this interest was approximately $1.7 million and is recorded as a redeemable non-controlling interest in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. To date, Volkswagen has not informed us of any intention to exercise their put rights.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, approximately $117.9 million and $107.4 million of our total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, are held in U.S. money market funds, and $787.9 million and $610.5 million are invested in U.S. government and agency securities, respectively. The Company seeks to mitigate its credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities by making deposits with what we believe to be large, reputable financial institutions and investing in high credit rated shorter-term instruments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Management considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Restricted cash is maintained under an agreement that legally restricts the use of such funds and is reported within other assets as the date of availability or disbursement for all restricted cash is more than one year from September 30, 2023.

Restricted cash is comprised of $18.0 million as of September 30, 2023 and $17.5 million as of December 31, 2022, respectively, all of which is pledged as a form of security for the Company’s lease agreements for its headquarters and pre-pilot manufacturing facilities.

Marketable Securities

The Company’s investment policy is consistent with the definition of available-for-sale securities. The Company does not buy and hold securities principally for the purpose of selling them in the near future. The Company’s policy is focused on the preservation of capital, liquidity, and return. From time to time, the Company may sell certain securities, but the objectives are generally not to generate profits on short-term differences in price.

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These securities are carried at estimated fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive gain/loss in stockholders’ equity until realized. Gains and losses on marketable security transactions are reported on the specific-identification method. Dividend and interest income are recognized when earned.

Fair Value Measurement

The Company applies fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. The accounting guidance established a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, used to determine the fair value of its financial instruments. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

•Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access.

•Level 2 – Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets and liabilities.

•Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at historical cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the related asset. Improvements that increase functionality of the fixed asset are capitalized and depreciated over the asset’s remaining useful life. Deposits for purchases of property and equipment are included in construction-in-progress. Construction-in-progress is not depreciated until the asset is placed in service. Fully depreciated assets are retained in property and equipment, net, until removed from service.

The estimated useful lives of assets are generally as follows:

Computer equipment, hardware, and software	3 - 5 years
Furniture and fixtures	7 - 10 years
Machinery and equipment	3 - 10 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of the lease term (including estimated renewals) or the estimated useful lives of the improvements

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets when indicators of impairment exist. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the estimated separately identifiable, undiscounted cash flows from such an asset are less than the carrying value of the asset. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred impairment charges of $6.3 million related to the decommissioning of certain assets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred cancellation charges of $11.3 million related to the purchase of equipment. These charges are recorded in Research and Development expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

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Leases

The Company classifies arrangements meeting the definition of a lease as operating or financing leases, and leases are recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as both a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the ROU asset is reduced over the lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the non-cash lease expense result in straight-line rent expense over the lease term. For finance leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the ROU asset results in front-loaded expense over the lease term. Variable lease expenses, including common maintenance fees, insurance and property tax, are recorded when incurred.

In calculating the right-of-use asset and lease liability, the Company elects to combine lease and non-lease components for all classes of assets, and elects to exclude short-term leases having terms of 12 months or less.

Segments

Operating segments are defined as components of an entity for which separate financial information is available and that is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance. The Company’s CODM is its Chief Executive Officer. The Company has determined that it operates in one operating segment and one reportable segment, as the CODM reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, allocating resources, and evaluating financial performance.

Research and Development Cost

Costs related to research and development are expensed as incurred.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses represent costs incurred by the Company in managing the business, including salary, benefits, incentive compensation, marketing, insurance, professional fees and other operating costs associated with the Company’s non-research and development activities.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees, directors, and non-employees, including stock options, restricted stock units and restricted shares, based on estimated fair values recognized over the requisite service period. The Company accounts for forfeitures when they occur.

The fair values of options granted with only service conditions are estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This valuation model for stock-based compensation expense requires the Company to make assumptions and judgments about the variables used in the calculation, including the expected term (weighted-average period of time that the options granted are expected to be outstanding), the volatility of the Company’s common stock, and an assumed risk-free interest rate. The Company recognizes compensation expense for all options with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the option vesting term of four years.

The fair values of options granted with performance (e.g., business milestone) and market conditions (e.g., stock price target) are estimated at the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The model determined the grant date fair value of each vesting tranche and the future date when the market condition for such tranche is expected to be achieved. The Monte Carlo valuation requires the Company to make assumptions and judgements about the variables used in the calculation including the expected term, volatility of the Company's common stock, an assumed risk-free interest rate, and cost of equity.

For performance-based options with a vesting schedule based on the attainment of both performance and market conditions, along with service conditions, each quarter the Company assesses whether it is probable that it will achieve each performance condition that has not previously been achieved or deemed probable of achievement and if so, the future time when the Company expects to achieve that business milestone, or its “expected business milestone achievement time.” When the Company first determines that a business milestone has become probable of being achieved, the Company allocates the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and the then-applicable “expected vesting date,” which represents the requisite service period. The requisite service period at any given time is generally the period between the grant date and the later of (i) the expected time when the performance condition will be achieved (if the related performance condition has not yet been achieved) and (ii) the expected time when the market condition will be achieved (if the related market condition has not yet been achieved). The Company immediately recognizes a cumulative catch-up expense for all accumulated expense for the quarters from the grant date through the quarter in which the performance condition was first deemed probable of being achieved. Each quarter thereafter, the Company recognizes the then-remaining expense for the tranche through the end of the requisite service period except that upon vesting of a tranche, all remaining expense for that tranche is immediately recognized.

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The fair values of restricted stock units granted with service conditions only are based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the date of grant. The Company recognizes compensation expense for restricted stock units with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the award vesting term of four years.

The fair values of restricted stock units granted with service and performance conditions are based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the grant date. The vesting schedule of such awards is based entirely on the attainment of both service and performance conditions. Each quarter the Company assesses whether it is probable that it will achieve each performance condition and if so, the future time when the Company expects to achieve that performance condition, the “expected vesting date”. When the Company first determines that a performance condition has become probable of being achieved, the Company allocates the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and expected vesting date, which represents the requisite service period. The requisite service period at any given time is generally the period between the grant date and the expected time when the performance condition will be achieved with the service condition also being met.

The Company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) is compensatory in accordance with ASC 718-50-25. The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for shares to be issued under the ESPP based on estimated grant date fair value recognized on a straight-line basis over the offering period.

The ESPP provides eligible employees with the opportunity to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock at a discount through payroll deductions. There were 324,997 shares purchased under the ESPP during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2023, 11.0 million shares of Class A Common Stock were reserved for future issuance under the ESPP.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and operating loss carryforwards, measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. Valuation allowances are provided when necessary to reduce net deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company recognizes tax liabilities based upon its estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due when such estimates are more likely than not to be sustained. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained.

The Company has no provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company has no current tax expense from losses and no deferred expense from the valuation allowance. The Company’s effective tax rate differs from the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets as it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

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Note 3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-01, Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Agreements, which clarifies the accounting for leasehold improvements associated with common control leases. The ASU is effective for all entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations - Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement, which addresses the accounting for contributions made to a joint venture, upon formation, in a joint venture's separate financial statements. The ASU is effective prospectively for all joint venture formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025. Additionally, a joint venture that was formed before January 1, 2025 may elect to apply the amendments retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted, either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Note 4. Fair Value Measurement

The Company’s financial assets subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis and the level of inputs used for such measurements were as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Fair Value Measured as of September 30, 2023
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets included in:
Money market funds(1)	$	117,909	$	—	$	117,909
Commercial paper(2)		—		96,229		96,229
U.S. government and agency securities(2)		—		787,950		787,950
Corporate notes and bonds(2)		—		132,736		132,736
Total fair value	$	117,909	$	1,016,915	$	1,134,824
	Fair Value Measured as of December 31, 2022
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets included in:
Money market funds(1)	$	107,439	$	—	$	107,439
Commercial paper(2)		—		104,231		104,231
U.S. government and agency securities(2)		—		610,450		610,450
Corporate notes and bonds(2)		—		188,658		188,658
Total fair value	$	107,439	$	903,339	$	1,010,778

(1)Money market funds are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)Marketable securities consist of commercial paper, U.S. government and agency securities, corporate notes and bonds. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, marketable securities with original maturities of three months or less of $140.3 million and $77.0 million, respectively, are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Level 1 assets: Money market funds are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy, as fair value is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

Level 2 assets: Investments in commercial paper, U.S. government and agency securities, and corporate notes and bonds are classified as Level 2 as they were valued based upon quoted market prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant inputs are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets.

The Company had no financial liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

There have been no changes to the valuation methods utilized during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their respective fair values due to their short-term nature.

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Marketable Securities

The following table summarizes, by major security type, the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. Amortized cost net of unrealized gain (loss) is equal to fair value as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. The fair value as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Amortized  Cost		Gross Unrealized  Gain		Gross Unrealized  Loss			Fair Value
Level 1 securities
Money market funds	$	117,909	$	—	$	—		$	117,909
Level 2 securities
Commercial paper		96,229		—		—			96,229
U.S. government and agency securities		791,085		28		(3,163	)		787,950
Corporate notes and bonds		135,924		—		(3,188	)		132,736
Total	$	1,141,147	$	28	$	(6,351	)	$	1,134,824
	December 31, 2022
	Amortized  Cost		Gross Unrealized  Gain		Gross Unrealized  Loss			Fair Value
Level 1 securities
Money market funds	$	107,439	$	—	$	—		$	107,439
Level 2 securities
Commercial paper		104,231		—		—			104,231
U.S. government and agency securities		620,660		24		(10,234	)		610,450
Corporate notes and bonds		196,321		—		(7,663	)		188,658
Total	$	1,028,651	$	24	$	(17,897	)	$	1,010,778

Realized gains and losses and interest income from the investment are included in interest income.

The Company regularly reviews its available-for-sale marketable securities in an unrealized loss position and evaluates the current expected credit loss by considering factors such as historical experience, market data, issuer-specific factors, and current economic conditions. The following tables display additional information regarding gross unrealized losses and fair value by major security type for the 75 and 95 marketable securities in unrealized loss positions as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Less than 12 Consecutive Months					12 Consecutive Months or Longer					Total
	Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value
U.S. government and agency securities	$	(75	)	$	301,624	$	(3,088	)	$	120,974	$	(3,163	)	$	422,598
Corporate notes and bonds		(1	)		2,000		(3,187	)		130,735		(3,188	)		132,735
Total	$	(76	)	$	303,624	$	(6,275	)	$	251,709	$	(6,351	)	$	555,333
	December 31, 2022
	Less than 12 Consecutive Months					12 Consecutive Months or Longer					Total
	Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value
U.S. government and agency securities	$	(521	)	$	231,047	$	(9,713	)	$	336,517	$	(10,234	)	$	567,564
Corporate notes and bonds		(261	)		18,585		(7,402	)		170,073		(7,663	)		188,658
Total	$	(782	)	$	249,632	$	(17,115	)	$	506,590	$	(17,897	)	$	756,222

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The unrealized losses were attributable to changes in interest rates that impacted the value of the investments, and not increased credit risk. There were no sales of available-for-sale marketable securities during the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company received proceeds of $1.5 million and $15.2 million, respectively, including interest, from the sale of available-for-sale marketable securities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company realized immaterial gains and losses as a result of such sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company does not intend to sell the investments that are in an unrealized loss position, nor is it more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investments before the recovery of the amortized cost basis, which may be its maturity. Accordingly, the Company did not record an allowance for credit losses associated with these investments.

The estimated amortized cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities by contractual maturity as of September 30, 2023 are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Due within one year	$	1,133,605	$	1,127,585
Due after one year and through five years		7,542		7,239
Total	$	1,141,147	$	1,134,824

Note 5. Balance Sheet Components

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	September 30,			December 31
	2023			2022
Computer equipment, hardware, and software	$	7,191		$	6,784
Furniture and fixtures		77,515			57,771
Leasehold improvements		86,872			72,201
Machinery and equipment		148,676			120,618
Construction-in-progress		98,648			108,585
Property and equipment, gross		418,902			365,959
Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(96,999	)		(70,025	)
Property and equipment, net	$	321,903		$	295,934

Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $11.2 million and $8.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $30.0 million and $18.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	September 30,		December 31,
	2023		2022
Long-term advance payments	$	2,515	$	2,615
Asset retirement obligation		9,196		5,873
Other liabilities	$	11,711	$	8,488

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Note 6. Leases

The Company leases its headquarters, pre-pilot manufacturing facilities and certain equipment, with current lease terms running through 2032. Fixed rent generally escalates each year, and the Company is responsible for a portion of the landlords’ operating expenses such as property tax, insurance and common area maintenance.

In April 2021, the Company entered into a lease agreement for premises located in San Jose, California to be used for QS-0, our consolidated pre-pilot line. The lease expires in September 2032. Under this QS-0 lease, the Company has two five-year renewal options, which have not been included in the calculation of the lease liability and right-of use asset at the lease inception as the exercise of the options was not reasonably certain. This initial QS-0 lease is classified as a finance lease.

In June 2021, the Company amended the terms of its 2013 headquarter lease to provide for, among other things, an extension of the lease term to September 2032. Under the amended headquarter lease, the Company retained its one five-year renewal option, which has not been included in the calculation of lease liabilities and right of use assets at the amendment date, as the exercise of the option was not reasonably certain.

In November 2021, the Company entered into lease agreements for additional premises in San Jose, California adjacent to the site of QS-0. The November 2021 leases represent an expansion of space for QS-0 and the Company’s engineering and development activities. Such leases will expire in September 2032 but include an option to extend the terms of the lease for an additional 10-year period. The November 2021 leases commenced in November 2021, January 2022, and April 2022 and were classified as operating leases. The additional 10-year extension period has not been included in the calculation of the lease liability and right-of-use asset at the lease inception as the exercise of the option was not reasonably certain.

The Company’s leases do not have any contingent rent payments and do not contain residual value guarantees.

The components of lease related expense are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
Lease costs	2023		2022		2023		2022
Finance lease costs:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	$	718	$	718	$	2,155	$	2,155
Interest on lease liabilities		593		600		1,795		1,807
Operating lease costs		2,253		2,310		6,795		6,568
Variable lease costs		695		620		3,065		1,753
Total lease expense	$	4,259	$	4,248	$	13,810	$	12,283

The components of supplemental cash and non-cash information related to leases are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022
Operating outgoing cash flows - finance lease	$	1,195	$	1,207
Financing outgoing cash flows - finance lease		1,290		809
Operating outgoing cash flows - operating lease		5,224		2,572
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities		—		28,845

The table below displays additional information for leases as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:

	September 30, 2023			December 31, 2022
Finance lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - finance lease (in years)		9.0			9.8
Weighted-average discount rate - finance lease		6.06	%		6.06	%
Operating lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating lease (in years)		8.9			9.6
Weighted-average discount rate - operating lease		6.36	%		6.36	%

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As of September 30, 2023, future minimum payments during the next five years and thereafter are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Fiscal Year	Operating Leases			Finance Lease
2023 (remaining three months)	$	2,203		$	1,265
2024		8,833			5,131
2025		9,047			5,272
2026		9,021			5,417
2027		9,135			5,566
2028		9,404			5,719
Thereafter		36,965			22,345
Total		84,608			50,715
Less present value discount		(20,841	)		(12,027	)
Lease liabilities	$	63,767		$	38,688

As the Company’s lease agreements do not provide an implicit rate, the Company used an estimated incremental borrowing rate that will be incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term at the lease commencement date or modification date in determining the present value of lease payments.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company establishes assets and liabilities for the present value of estimated future costs to return certain of our leased facilities to their original condition upon the termination or expiration of a lease. The recognition of an asset retirement obligation requires the Company to make assumptions and judgments including the actions required to satisfy the liability, inflation rates and the credit-adjusted risk-free rate. The initially recognized asset retirement cost is amortized using the same method and useful life as the long-lived asset to which it relates. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value.

Note 7. Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, and in the ordinary course of business, the Company may be subject to certain claims, charges and litigation concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of the Company’s business activities.

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Warrants Litigation

Purported Company warrantholders filed actions against the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging, among other things, that they were entitled to exercise their warrants within 30 days of the closing of the Business Combination and that the preliminary and final versions of the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement dated September 21, 2020, and November 12, 2020, were misleading and/or omitted material information concerning the exercise of the warrants. The actions have been consolidated for the purposes of discovery and motion practice. The operative consolidated complaint, filed January 21, 2022, seeks monetary damages for alleged breach of contract, securities law violations, and fraud. On September 28, 2023, the court granted in part and denied in part the parties’ respective motions for partial summary judgment. QuantumScape continues to believe it has meritorious defenses to the claims and intends to defend itself vigorously.

Securities Class Action Litigation

Beginning in January 2021 class action lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California by purported purchasers of Company securities. The lead plaintiff filed a consolidated complaint on June 21, 2021, which alleges a purported class that includes all persons who purchased or acquired our securities between November 27, 2020 and April 14, 2021. The consolidated complaint names the Company, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, and its Chief Technology Officer as defendants. The consolidated complaint alleges that the defendants purportedly made false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, including information regarding the Company’s battery technology. On January 14, 2022, defendants’ motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint was substantially denied. On December 19, 2022, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion to certify the class. QuantumScape continues to believe it has meritorious defenses to the claims and intends to defend itself vigorously.

Shareholder Derivative Litigation

Two shareholder derivative suits were filed in February 2021 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against 11 officers and directors of the Company and have been consolidated into one action, with the first-filed complaint being designated the operative one. The Company is the nominal defendant. The complaint alleges that the individual defendants breached various duties to the Company and contains additional similar allegations based on the same general allegations in the class action described immediately above. VGA is also named as a defendant in the derivative litigation. The action is currently stayed.

Four shareholder derivative suits were filed beginning in June 2022 in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware against current and former directors and officers of the Company. The Company is the nominal defendant. The complaints allege that the individual defendants breached various duties to the Company. VGA is also named as a defendant in two of those actions. The suits were consolidated and are currently stayed.

Delaware Class Action

A shareholder derivative suit was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2022, against former and current directors and officers of the Company and of Kensington. Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on March 3, 2023, this time seeking relief on behalf of a putative class of holders of Kensington Class A Common Stock who held such stock prior to the November 23, 2020 redemption deadline and were allegedly entitled to redeem their shares but did not. The amended class action complaint alleges that the defendants breached various duties to the Company or aided and abetted such breaches. Defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaint on May 8, 2023, which motions are pending.

For many legal matters, particularly those in early stages, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the possible loss (or range of loss), if any. The Company records an accrual for legal matters at the time or times it determines that a loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. Amounts accrued as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 were not material. Regarding matters for which no accrual has been made (including the potential for losses in excess of amounts accrued), the Company currently believes, based on its own investigations, that any losses (or ranges of losses) that are reasonably possible and estimable will not, in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the ultimate outcome of legal proceedings involves judgments, estimates, and inherent uncertainties and cannot be predicted with certainty. Should the ultimate outcome of any legal matter be unfavorable, the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. The Company may also incur substantial legal fees, which are expensed as incurred, in defending against legal claims.

Other commitments

The Company's minimum purchase commitments consist of non-cancellable agreements to purchase goods and services, primarily for materials, and licenses and hosting services, entered into in the ordinary course of business.

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As of September 30, 2023, future minimum purchase commitments in aggregate during the next five years and thereafter are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Fiscal Year	Minimum Purchase Commitments
2023 (remaining three months)	$	1,170
2024		4,194
2025		4,309
2026		2,142
2027		1,418
Thereafter		—
Total	$	13,233

Note 8. Stockholders’ Equity

As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, 1,350,000,000 shares, $0.0001 par value per share are authorized, of which, 1,000,000,000 shares are designated as Class A Common Stock, 250,000,000 shares are designated as Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares are designated as Preferred Stock.

Common Stock

Holders of common stock are entitled to dividends when, as, and if, declared by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), subject to the rights of the holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not declared any dividends. The holder of each share of Class A Common Stock is entitled to one vote, and the holder of each share of Class B Common Stock is entitled to ten votes.

In March 2021, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of shares of its Class A Common Stock and issued 11,960,000 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $462.9 million, net of issuance costs of $15.5 million (the “March 2021 Public Offering”).

On February 28, 2023, the Company entered into separate Distribution Agreements with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as sales agents, pursuant to which the Company is able to, from time to time, issue and sell common stock with an aggregate offering price of up to $400 million (the “At-the-Market Offering”, or the “ATM offering”) under the prospectus supplement to the Form S-3 filed on February 28, 2023 (File No. 333-266419). No shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock were sold pursuant to the ATM offering during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

In August 2023, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of its Class A Common Stock and issued 37,500,000 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $288.2 million, net of issuance costs of $11.8 million (the “August 2023 Public Offering”).

Equity Incentive Plans

Prior to the Business Combination, the Company maintained its 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”), under which the Company granted options and restricted stock units to purchase or directly issue shares of common stock to employees, directors, and non-employees.

Upon the closing of the Business Combination, awards under the 2010 Plan were converted at the exchange ratio of 4.02175014920, and assumed into the 2020 Equity Incentive Award Plan (the “2020 Plan”, and together with the 2010 Plan, the “Plans”). The 2020 Plan permits the granting of awards in the form of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units and performance awards to employees, directors, and non-employees.

As of September 30, 2023, 84,813,924 shares of Class A Common Stock are authorized for issuance pursuant to awards under the 2020 Plan, plus any shares of Class A Common Stock subject to stock options, restricted stock units or other awards that were assumed in the Business Combination and terminate as a result of being unexercised or are forfeited or repurchased by the Company, with the maximum number of shares to be added to the 2020 Plan equal to 69,846,580 shares of Class A Common Stock.

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Stock Options

Stock option activity under the Plans, including the EPA Program discussed below, is as follows:

	Number of Shares Outstanding (in thousands)			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)		Intrinsic value (in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2022(1)		50,124		$	8.65		6.05
Cancelled and forfeited(2)		(865	)		22.47		—
Exercised		(6,396	)		1.27		—
Balance as of September 30, 2023		42,863		$	9.47		5.71	$	127,886
Vested and expected to vest as of September 30, 2023(3)		33,792		$	5.83		5.04	$	127,886
Vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023		26,478		$	1.95		4.23	$	125,572

(1) This includes 16.0 million options granted and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 pursuant to the EPA Program.

(2) This includes 0.8 million options under the EPA Program.

(3) This includes 6.0 million options granted pursuant to the EPA Program that are currently expected to vest. None of the options granted pursuant to the EPA Program were vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023.
 

There were no options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 or September 30, 2022. The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $46.3 million and $38.1 million, respectively.

Excluding options granted pursuant to the EPA Program, as of September 30, 2023, the Company had stock-based compensation of $3.1 million related to unvested stock options not yet recognized that are expected to be recognized over an estimated weighted average period of 1.5 years.

EPA Program

In December 2021, the Company granted stock options for the purchase of an aggregate of approximately 14.7 million shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Company’s management team pursuant to the EPA Program that was approved by the Company's stockholders in December 2021. In December 2022, the remaining 2.1 million stock options under the EPA Program were granted to members of the Company's management team under the same terms as those in the initial grant in 2021, representing the final grant pursuant to the EPA Program approved in December 2021. The EPA Program consists of five equal tranches (each a “Tranche”) that vest if the Company meets certain business milestones (performance conditions) and stock price targets (market conditions).

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Business Milestones

The compensation committee of the Board selected the following eleven business milestones for the EPA Program, of which one milestone must be achieved for each Tranche.

•Delivery of an A-sample battery cell that meets specifications agreed upon with an automaker

•The validation by an auto maker of a completed B-sample battery cell (a B-sample battery cell is a functional, complete battery cell prototype produced from our pre-pilot or sample production line)

•Delivery of at least 1-gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery cells to a single customer

•Delivery of at least 3-gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery cells to each of three or more customers, with at least one of such customer being an auto maker

•$5 billion in GAAP revenue over a period of trailing four quarters

•$10 billion in GAAP revenue over a period of trailing four quarters

•Total cumulative battery cell production of 500 GWh

•Total cumulative battery cell production of 1,000 GWh

•Adjusted EBITDA margin of at least 25% over four consecutive quarters

•10% of worldwide market share in automotive battery cells (excluding China)

•20% of worldwide market share in automotive battery cells (excluding China)

Once a business milestone has been achieved, that business milestone will be considered achieved, even if later the Company does not maintain performance at that level.

Stock Price Targets

The stock price targets of the five Tranches of the EPA Program are $60, $120, $180, $240 and $300.

To meet the stock price targets, the stock price must be sustained and not merely momentarily achieved. Except in the case of a change in control, the Company’s stock price for the purposes of assessing the stock price target will be the 120-day trailing average closing price (based on trading days), but a stock price target will not be achieved unless the trailing average closing price of the last 30 trading days of such 120-trading day period also meets or exceeds the applicable stock price target. For a stock price target for any given Tranche to be achieved, the last day of the 120-day measurement period must occur on or after the date that the requisite number of business milestones have been achieved for such Tranche.

Vesting Tranches

Each of the five Tranches vest only if the Company achieves one of the business milestones (in addition to the business milestones already achieved in a prior Tranche) and achieves the applicable stock price target on or after the business milestone is achieved, within 10 years of the initial grants. Additionally, in order to vest in any Tranche, Participants generally must continue to provide service through the date of vesting in the same position, or a similar or higher role, as when the EPA Program awards are granted.

Tranche	Business Milestone Requirement	Stock Price Target
1	Achievement of 1 business milestone	$60
2	Achievement of 2 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 1)	$120
3	Achievement of 3 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 2)	$180
4	Achievement of 4 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 3)	$240
5	Achievement of 5 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 4)	$300

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Change in Control

In the event of a change in control of the Company, a portion of the EPA Program awards may also be eligible to vest; in such event, the business milestone requirement will not be applicable and the Company’s stock price for the purposes of the stock price targets will be the price per share paid in such change in control. In the event that the Company’s stock price by this measure falls between two stock price targets, linear interpolation between the two applicable stock price targets will be used to determine an additional portion of the EPA Program awards that will vest. Any portion of an EPA Program award that is not vested upon and after giving effect to a change in control will terminate.

The Company accounts for the compensation expense associated with each Tranche when it determines that achievement of a related business milestone is considered probable. As of September 30, 2023, the business milestone for one Tranche had been achieved; however, because the related stock price target has not yet been achieved, no shares have vested to date. As of September 30, 2023, one other Tranche was considered probable.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $5.3 million and $23.7 million, respectively, related to the EPA Program. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $12.1 million and $37.7 million, respectively, related to the EPA Program. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $34.8 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for the business milestones currently achieved or considered probable of achievement, which will be recognized over an estimated weighted-average period of 3.3 years. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $168.0 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for the business milestones currently considered not probable of achievement.

Restricted Stock Units Activities

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company granted 4.0 million shares of restricted stock units with service and performance conditions (“PSU”) to members of the Company’s management team and certain other employees under the Company's 2020 Plan. The performance conditions for these PSUs are related to the Company’s product development milestones through May 2026. These PSUs will expire in May 2026 if performance conditions are not met. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $4.0 million and $11.4 million, respectively, related to these PSUs, upon determination that the product development milestones are currently considered probable of achievement.

The Company established the 2023 Bonus Plan to be settled in the form of restricted stock units to employees upon the achievement of certain service and performance conditions. These performance conditions are related to the Company’s product development, operational, and business milestones in the current year. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $4.5 million and $15.7 million related to the 2023 Bonus Plan for the performance conditions currently considered probable of achievement. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, approximately 423 thousand restricted stock units were granted and vested under the 2023 Bonus Plan for the interim payout, resulting in $2.9 million in additional paid in capital. The remaining stock-based compensation expense of $12.8 million related to the 2023 Bonus Plan are recorded as liabilities under Accrued compensation and benefits in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023, and will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital upon issuance of the restricted stock units.

Restricted stock units with service conditions only (“RSU”) and PSU activities under the Plans are as follows:

	RSUs Outstanding					PSUs Outstanding
	Number of Units (in thousands)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Units (in thousands)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance as of December 31, 2022		16,563		$	13.79		—		$	—
Granted		16,013			7.52		4,454			7.68
Vested		(6,842	)		11.06		(423	)		6.82
Forfeited		(1,948	)		13.19		(46	)		7.87
Balance as of September 30, 2023		23,786		$	10.43		3,985		$	7.77

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The fair value of RSUs which vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 was approximately $53.3 million for both periods. The fair value of PSUs vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $2.9 million, which was the interim payout under the 2023 Bonus Plan.

As of September 30, 2023, unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested RSUs and PSUs were $230.3 million and $19.6 million, respectively, and are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.7 years and 1.3 years, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

Total stock-based compensation expense recognized in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for all awards is as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Research and development	$	23,977	$	17,233	$	71,390	$	45,255
General and administrative		16,414		16,345		56,983		47,730
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	40,391	$	33,578	$	128,373	$	92,985

The stock-based compensation expense in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 includes $12.8 million recorded as liabilities under Accrued compensation and benefits, which is related to the 2023 Bonus Plan, in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023.

Note 9. Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share adjusts basic earnings per share for the potentially dilutive impact of stock options and warrants. As the Company has reported a loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, potentially dilutive securities including stock options and warrants, are antidilutive and accordingly, basic net loss per share equals diluted net loss per share.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(110,617	)	$	(117,660	)	$	(331,785	)	$	(302,841	)
Denominator:
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Basic and Diluted		471,752			434,051			452,503			431,654
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Basic and Diluted	$	(0.23	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.73	)	$	(0.70	)

Basic and diluted earnings per share was the same for each period presented as the inclusion of all potential Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock outstanding would have been anti-dilutive.

The following table presents the potential common stock outstanding that was excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common stock as of the periods presented because including them would have been antidilutive (amounts in thousands):

	As of September 30,
	2023		2022
Options		42,863		48,610
RSUs		23,786		16,378
PSUs		7,059		—
Total		73,708		64,988

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Note 10. Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

As described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in September 2018, Legacy QuantumScape entered into a JVA, which was amended in 2020, with VWGoA and VGA and formed QSV. The Company has determined that the entity was a VIE with a related party, and the Company’s operations were more closely associated with QSV. As such, the Company consolidates QSV for financial reporting purposes, and a non-controlling interest is recorded for VGA’s interest in the net assets and operations of QSV’s operations to the extent of the VGA investment. The Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets includes $3.5 million and $3.4 million cash and cash equivalents of QSV as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Although the Company has consolidated the net assets of QSV, it has no right to the use of those assets for its standalone operations.

The following table sets forth the change in redeemable non-controlling interest for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (amounts in thousands):

	Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest
Balance as of December 31, 2022	$	1,704
Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV		45
Balance as of September 30, 2023	$	1,749

	Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest
Balance as of December 31, 2021	$	1,693
Net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV		(2	)
Balance as of September 30, 2022	$	1,691

Pursuant to the agreement with VWGoA, the Company has reserved $134.0 million to fund its expected equity contributions to QSV, which amounts are included in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this Report. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” as set forth in this Report. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” to “the Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the business and operations of QuantumScape Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Overview

We are developing next-generation battery technology for EVs and other applications. We believe that our technology will enable a new category of battery that meets the requirements for broader market adoption. The lithium-metal solid-state battery technology that we are developing is being designed to offer greater energy density, faster charging, and greater safety when compared to today’s conventional lithium-ion batteries.

We are a development-stage company with no revenue to date, have incurred a net loss from operations of approximately $120.9 million and $354.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, and an accumulated deficit of approximately $2.8 billion from our inception through September 30, 2023. We expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.

Key Trends, Opportunities and Uncertainties

We are a pre-revenue company. We believe that our performance and future success depend on several factors that present significant opportunities for us but also pose significant risks and challenges, including those discussed below and in the section titled “Risk Factors” appearing elsewhere in this Report.

Product Development

We have demonstrated capabilities of our solid-state separator and battery technology in single-layer and multi-layer cell cycling data, and in 2022, shipped our first 24-layer A0 prototype battery cells to multiple automotive OEMs for testing. Following that shipment, we plan to focus our research and development on subsequent generations of prototype samples incorporating advances in cell functionality, process and reliability, as well as bringing online the manufacturing capability of our consolidated QS-0 pre-pilot line.

Our research and development currently includes programs for the following areas:

•Continued improvement of our prototype cells’ energy density. We believe our battery technology may provide significant improvements in energy density compared to today’s conventional lithium-ion batteries. We are working to address this opportunity in several ways, including increasing the cathode capacity loading and packaging efficiency of our cells. To increase cathode capacity loading, we need to address several technical challenges, including coating cathode electrodes with higher mass loading while maintaining quality, calendaring the cathodes to the necessary thickness, optimizing cathode microstructure, and ensuring good catholyte interface with active material while still meeting our targeted charge and discharge power. To enhance packaging efficiency, we are working to improve the ratio of active materials of the battery to its inactive materials by, among other things, tightening tolerances between the individual cell components, reducing the thickness of elements of the cell stack, and minimizing or eliminating inactive materials or spaces inside the cell package — all without adversely impacting performance of the cells.

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•Continued improvement in quality, consistency and reliability. We are working to improve the quality and uniformity of our cells, including our solid-state separators, to further improve, among other things, the cycling behavior, power, operating conditions, and reliability of our cells. For certain of our processes, we use methods of continuous processing found at scale in both the battery and ceramic industries and are working on continuous improvement of this process, including better quality, consistency, and higher throughput through automation and process control (including specification tightening and adding or improving inspection points along the manufacturing process flow), quality of material inputs, and particle reduction across our process. We are also exploring new methods not typically used in ceramics that offer significant potential cost savings. Regarding consistency, we believe tightening the variability of separator quality will result in better yield. We plan to implement process improvements and controls necessary to manufacture higher quality, more consistent materials; we believe these activities will ultimately lead to higher reliability.

•Continued improvement in throughput. Increasing the volume of separator production results in the increased quantities required for prototypes with higher layer counts and delivery of more test cells to prospective customers. We continue to invest and deploy resources to automate our manufacturing process, including purchasing larger-scale manufacturing equipment, that we expect will substantially improve our manufacturing processes and, as a result, increase throughput required for product qualification and to achieve the cost, performance and volume levels required for commercial shipments.

•Multi-layering. We have demonstrated capabilities of our solid-state separator and battery technology in single-layer and multi-layer solid-state cells in commercially relevant areas (ranging from approximately 60x75mm to 70x85mm), and in 2022, shipped 24-layer A0 prototype battery cells to multiple automotive OEMs for testing. In order to advance the maturity of our prototype cells and produce commercially-viable solid-state battery cells, we must produce battery cells with dozens of layers and may have to increase cell layer count; while we target our first commercial product to have 24 layers, the exact number of layers and dimensions will vary and depend upon specific customer preference, cell design considerations, and other factors. We will need to overcome production challenges to produce sufficient volumes of our solid-state separators and prototype battery cells to complete development of our first commercial product and for customer evaluation and product qualification purposes, as well as subsequent cell designs that may require increased layer counts.

•Continued improvement of the cathode. Our cathodes use a conventional cathode active material such as NMC mixed with a catholyte. We plan to benefit from industry cathode chemistry improvements and/or cost reduction, which in the future may include use of other cathode active materials, including cobalt-free compositions, including LFP, as well as cathode processing advances such as dry electrode processing. Over the years, we have developed catholytes made of differing mixtures of organic polymer and organic liquid electrolyte to optimize performance across multiple metrics such as voltage, temperature, power, and safety, among others. We continue to test solid, gel and liquid catholytes in our cells. The solid catholyte is part of our ongoing research and development investigation into inorganic catholytes. Our solid-state catholyte platform is being designed to enable high rates of charge and discharge for even thicker cathode electrodes, which when combined with a lithium-metal anode, may further increase cell energy densities.

Our team of scientists, engineers, technicians, and other staff is highly motivated and committed to solving these challenges ahead. However, any delays in the completion of these tasks will require additional cash use and delay market entry. As we expand the capabilities of our consolidated pre-pilot line (“QS-0”) that we are currently building out and bringing up in San Jose, California, and as we continue to plan for a 1 GWh pilot-production line (“QS-1”) through our joint venture with Volkswagen, we expect our rate of cash utilization to also increase significantly.

Process Development

Our architecture depends on our proprietary solid-state ceramic separator which we plan to manufacture ourselves. Though our separator’s design is unique, our first generation process relies on established or similar high-volume production processes already deployed in other industries. We are developing a subsequent, proprietary higher-volume separator manufacturing process that seeks to further reduce cost, increase throughput, and improve quality.

The solid-state separator is being designed to enable our ‘anode-free’ architecture. As manufactured, our solid-state battery cell has no anode; the lithium-metal anode is formed during the first charge of the cell. The lithium that forms the anode comes from the cathode material we purchase. Eliminating the anode bill of materials and associated manufacturing costs found in conventional lithium-ion cells could result in a meaningful cost of goods sold (COGS) advantage for us. In addition, our solid-state battery cell is being designed to reduce the time and capital-intensity of the formation and aging process step as compared to conventional lithium-ion manufacturing.

We are focused on the throughput and capability of QS-0 and planning for QS-1. As part of the continued expansion of our throughput we are automating our manufacturing process and purchasing larger-scale battery-cell manufacturing equipment. We will need to substantially improve our battery cell manufacturing processes to increase throughput required for higher numbers of battery cells and to achieve the cost, performance and volume levels required for commercial shipments.

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QS-0 is intended to serve three purposes. First, QS-0 is intended to provide a sufficient quantity of solid-state separators and cells for internal development and customer sampling. Second, QS-0 is intended to provide the basis for continued manufacturing process development and to help inform QS-1 equipment selection and specifications. Delays in the successful buildout of QS-0 may impact both our development and the QS-1 timelines. And third, as we continue to build out our manufacturing capabilities, we target the initial production at QS-0 of battery cells to be made available for sale to a third party.

We will need to achieve significant cost savings in battery design and manufacturing, in addition to the cost savings associated with the elimination of an anode from our solid-state battery cells as manufactured, while controlling costs associated with the manufacture of our solid-state separator, including achieving substantial improvements in quality, consistency, reliability, throughput and safety required to hit commercial targets. Further, we will need to capture industry cost savings in the materials, components, equipment, and processes that we share, notably in the cathode, cell design, and factory.

Commercialization and Market Focus

Delivery of an A0 sample represents the beginning of the automotive qualification process, which generally includes several major delivery milestones of A, B and C samples. Each major sampling stage may consist of several generations of increasingly mature prototypes. The timelines for each stage involve uncertainty and will be influenced by a number of factors, including product and process development risks; the specification, ordering, and qualification of production equipment; other supply chain dynamics; and OEM validation timeframes.

We have demonstrated the performance capabilities of our solid-state separator and battery technology in single-layer and multi-layer solid-state cells in commercially relevant areas (ranging approximately from 60x75mm to 70x85mm), and in 2022, shipped our first 24-layer A0 prototype battery cells to multiple automotive original equipment manufacturers (“OEM”). We will work to continue improving quality, consistency, reliability, throughput and safety and optimize all components of the cell. We will continue to work to further develop and validate the volume manufacturing processes to enable higher volume manufacturing and minimize manufacturing costs. Finally, we intend for the building out of QS-0 to serve as the basis for continued manufacturing process development for the subsequent scale up of our manufacturing capabilities, including QS-1.

QS-1, to be built and run by QSV, our joint venture entity with Volkswagen, and its subsequent expansion to the full 21 GWh target (“QS-1 Expansion”), would represent a small fraction of Volkswagen’s demand for batteries and implies vehicle volumes under 2.6% of Volkswagen’s total production in 2022, assuming a 100kWh battery pack size. Our goal is to significantly expand the production capacity of the joint venture, in partnership with Volkswagen, to meet more of their projected demand. While Volkswagen is the first automotive OEM that we signed an agreement with the goal of commercializing vehicles using our battery technology, we intend to continue working closely with other OEMs to make our solid-state battery cells widely available over time. In addition to Volkswagen, we have signed customer sampling agreements with a number of other OEMs, ranging from top ten manufacturers by global revenue to premium performance and luxury carmakers, to collaborate with us in the testing and validation of our solid-state battery cells with the goal of providing such cells to the OEM for inclusion into pre-production prototype vehicles and ultimately into serial production vehicles. We are currently focused on automotive EV applications, which have among the most stringent sets of requirements for batteries. However, we recognize that our solid-state battery technology has applicability in other large and growing markets including stationary storage and consumer electronics such as smartphones and wearables and intend to explore opportunities in those areas as appropriate.

We believe that our technology enables a variety of business models. In addition to joint ventures, such as the one with Volkswagen, we may operate solely-owned manufacturing facilities or license technology to other manufacturers. We intend to continue to invest in research and development to improve battery cell performance, improve manufacturing processes, and reduce cost.

Access to Capital

Based on our current business plan, we believe that our cash resources will last into 2026. In July 2022, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC (File No. 333-266419) (the “Form S-3”), which the SEC declared effective in August 2022, for the offer and sale of Class A Common Stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, debt securities, warrants, subscription rights, purchase contracts and units in one or more offerings and in any combination for an aggregate offering price of up to $1 billion. In February 2023, we filed a prospectus supplement to the Form S-3 for the issuance and sale of our Class A Common Stock from time to time for an aggregate offering price of up to $400 million (the “ATM offering”). No shares of our Class A Common Stock were sold pursuant to the ATM offering during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. In August 2023, we completed an underwritten public offering of our Class A Common Stock and issued 37,500,000 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $288.2 million, net of issuance costs of $11.8 million (the “August 2023 Public Offering”).

However, any changes to our technology development, operating costs and scale-up could materially impact us and the availability of our capital resources.

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Regulatory Landscape

We operate in an industry that is subject to many established environmental regulations, which have generally become more stringent over time, particularly in hazardous waste generation and disposal and pollution control. Regulations in our target markets include economic incentives to purchasers of EVs, tax credits for EV manufacturers, and economic penalties that may apply to a car manufacturer based on its fleet-wide emissions which may indirectly benefit us to the extent that the regulations expand the market size of EVs. While we also expect environmental regulations to provide a tailwind to our growth, it is possible for certain regulations to result in margin pressures. Trade restrictions and tariffs, while historically minimal between the European Union and the United States where most of our production and sales are initially expected, are subject to unknown and unpredictable changes that could impact our ability to meet projected sales or margins. In addition, there are government regulations pertaining to battery safety, transportation of batteries, use of batteries in cars, and factory safety. We will ultimately have to comply with these regulations to sell our batteries into the market. The license and sale of our batteries abroad is likely to be subject to export controls in the future.

Basis of Presentation

We currently conduct our business through one operating segment. As a pre-revenue company with no commercial operations, our activities to date have been limited and were conducted primarily in the United States. Our historical results are reported under U.S. GAAP and in U.S. dollars. Upon commencement of commercial operations, we expect to expand our global operations substantially, including in the United States and the European Union, and as a result we expect our future results to be sensitive to foreign currency transaction and translation risks and other financial risks that are not reflected in our historical financial statements. As a result, we expect that the financial results we report for periods after we begin commercial operations will not be comparable to the financial results included in this Report.

Components of Results of Operations

We are a research and development stage company and we have not generated any revenues to date. Our historical results may not be indicative of our future results for reasons that may be difficult to anticipate. Accordingly, the drivers of our future financial results, as well as the components of such results, may not be comparable to our historical or projected results of operations.

Operating Expenses

Research and Development Expense

To date, our research and development expenses have consisted primarily of personnel-related expenses for scientists, experienced engineers and technicians as well as costs associated with the expansion and ramp up of our engineering and facilities supporting QS-0 in San Jose, including the material and supplies to support the product development and process engineering efforts. As we ramp up our engineering operations to complete the development of our solid-state, lithium-metal batteries and required process engineering to meet automotive cost targets, we anticipate that research and development expenses will increase significantly for the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in additional plant and equipment for product development (e.g., multi-layer cell stacking, packaging engineering), building prototypes, and testing of battery cells as our team works to meet the full set of automotive product requirements. We also recognize significant non-cash stock-based compensation to employees directly involved in research and development activities. For stock-based compensation awards with performance and market conditions, such as the awards granted under our Extraordinary Performance Award Program (the “EPA Program”) in December 2022 and 2021, the non-cash expense recognized is based on a probability assessment of the performance conditions, and as such, we expect research and development expenses to fluctuate in the future as the performance conditions are re-assessed at each reporting period. Further, should the stated market conditions of the EPA Program grants be achieved prior to the expected achievement period, we may accelerate the stock-based compensation expense recognized, which could result in significant fluctuations in research and development expense recognized in the future. For more information on the EPA Program and grants thereunder, see Note 8, Stockholders' Equity, to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this Report.

As we ramp up towards commercial manufacturing operations, we will begin to incur expenses that are directly associated with manufacturing, including allocation of indirect costs from research and development.

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General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expenses consist mainly of personnel-related expenses for our executive, sales and marketing, insurance and other administrative functions as well as outside professional services, including legal, accounting and other advisory services. We have expanded our personnel headcount and we are continuing to expand our supporting systems, in anticipation of planning for and supporting the ramp up of commercial manufacturing operations and due to the ongoing requirements of being a public company. Accordingly, we expect our general and administrative expenses to increase in the near term and for the foreseeable future. Upon commencement of commercial operations, we also expect general and administrative expenses to include customer and sales support and advertising costs. We also recognize significant non-cash stock-based compensation to executives and certain employees. The non-cash expense recognized for EPA Program grants is based on a probability assessment of the performance conditions, and as such, we expect general and administrative expenses to fluctuate in the future as the performance conditions are re-assessed at each reporting period. Further, should the stated market conditions of the EPA Program awards be achieved prior to the expected achievement period, we may accelerate the stock-based compensation expense recognized, which could result in significant fluctuations in general and administrative expense recognized in the future.

As we ramp up towards commercial manufacturing operations, we will begin to incur expenses that are directly associated with manufacturing, including allocation of indirect costs from general and administrative activities.

Other Income (Expense)

Interest Expense

Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our QS-0 campus lease.

Interest Income

Interest income consists primarily of interest income from marketable securities.

Other Income (Expense)

Our other income (expense) consists of miscellaneous income and expenses.

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

Our income tax provision consists of an estimate for U.S. federal and state income taxes based on enacted rates, as adjusted for allowable credits, deductions, uncertain tax positions, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in tax law. We maintain a valuation allowance against the full value of our U.S. and state net deferred tax assets because we believe the recoverability of the tax assets is not more likely than not.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 to the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

The following table sets forth our historical operating results for the periods indicated (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						$			%			Nine Months Ended September 30,						$			%
	2023			2022			Change			Change			2023			2022			Change			Change
Operating expenses:
Research and development	$	88,154		$	87,582		$	572			1	%	$	251,548		$	214,060		$	37,488			18	%
General and administrative		32,716			33,072			(356	)		(1	)%		102,842			93,124			9,718			10	%
Total operating expenses		120,870			120,654			216			0	%		354,390			307,184			47,206			15	%
Loss from operations		(120,870	)		(120,654	)		(216	)		0	%		(354,390	)		(307,184	)		(47,206	)		15	%
Other income (loss):
Interest expense		(593	)		(600	)		7			(1	)%		(1,795	)		(1,807	)		12			(1	)%
Interest income		10,479			3,487			6,992			201	%		24,075			5,813			18,262			314	%
Other income (expense)		382			114			268			235	%		370			335			35			10	%
Total other income (loss):		10,268			3,001			7,267			242	%		22,650			4,341			18,309			422	%
Net loss		(110,602	)		(117,653	)		7,051			(6	)%		(331,740	)		(302,843	)		(28,897	)		10	%
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		15			7			8			114	%		45			(2	)		47			(2350	)%
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(110,617	)	$	(117,660	)	$	7,043			(6	)%	$	(331,785	)	$	(302,841	)	$	(28,944	)		10	%

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Research and Development

The increase in research and development expense in the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022 primarily resulted from a non-cash stock-based compensation expense increase of $6.7 million primarily due to the effect of restricted stock units granted subsequent to September 30, 2022 and the effect of the 2023 Bonus Plan, and an increase of $3.1 million related to depreciation and amortization, primarily offset by a decrease of $4.9 million in impairment charges for fixed assets, a decrease of approximately $2.1 million in professional fees, outside services and subscription fees, and a decrease of $1.9 million in personnel cost due to lower headcount in the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022.

The increase in research and development expense in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022 primarily resulted from a non-cash stock-based compensation expense increase of $26.1 million primarily due to the effect of restricted stock units granted subsequent to September 30, 2022 and the effect of the 2023 Bonus Plan, an increase of $11.3 million related to depreciation and amortization, an increase of $5.8 million in personnel cost due to a larger research and development headcount in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022 to support our battery technology development, offset by a decrease of $4.9 million in impairment charges for fixed assets and a decrease of $1.8 million in facility cost due to different stages of facility build-out.

General and Administrative

The decrease in general and administrative expenses in the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022 is approximately $0.4 million with no individually significant drivers.

The increase in general and administrative expenses in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022 primarily resulted from a non-cash stock-based compensation expense increase of $9.3 million primarily due to the effect of restricted stock units granted subsequent to September 30, 2022 and the effect of the 2023 Bonus Plan.

Other Income (Expense)

Interest Income

The increase in interest income during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was mainly due to an increase in interest rates.

Other Income (Expense)

Other income (expense) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 consisted of foreign currency exchange gain and other miscellaneous income. Other income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 primarily consisted of foreign currency exchange gain and other miscellaneous income.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, our principal sources of liquidity were our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities in the amount of approximately $1.1 billion for both periods. Our cash equivalents are invested in U.S. money market funds, U.S. Treasury bonds and commercial paper. Our marketable securities are invested in U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, commercial paper, and corporate notes and bonds.

We have yet to generate any revenue from our business operations. To date, we have funded our capital expenditure and working capital requirements through equity as further discussed below. Our ability to successfully develop our products, commence commercial operations and expand our business will depend on many factors, including our working capital needs, the availability of equity or debt financing and, over time, our ability to generate cash flows from operations.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we received net proceeds of $124.1 million from investing activities, mainly due to the maturities of marketable securities.

In August 2023, we completed an underwritten public offering of our Class A Common Stock and issued 37,500,000 shares under the Form S-3, for an aggregate purchase price of $288.2 million, net of issuance costs of $11.8 million.

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We believe that our cash on hand will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for a period of at least twelve months from the date of this Report. Based on our current business plan, we believe that our cash resources will last into 2026. However, any changes to our technology development, operating costs and scale-up could materially impact us and the availability of our capital resources. We may, however, need additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other developments, including unanticipated delays in negotiations with automotive OEMs and tier-one automotive suppliers or other suppliers, supply chain challenges, competitive pressures, inflation, and regulatory developments, among others. To the extent that our current resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may need to seek additional equity or debt financing. If such financing is not available, or if the financing terms are onerous given the high-interest rate environment or less desirable than we expect, we may be forced to decrease our level of investment in product development or scale back our operations, which could have an adverse impact on our business and financial prospects.

In July 2022, we filed the Form S-3, which the SEC declared effective in August 2022, for the offer and sale of Class A Common Stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, debt securities, warrants, subscription rights, purchase contracts and units in one or more offerings and in any combination for an aggregate offering price of up to $1 billion, or $700 million subsequent to our August 2023 Public Offering. Such securities may be offered pursuant to the base prospectus contained in the shelf registration statement and a prospectus supplement that would be prepared and filed at the time of any offering.

In February 2023, we filed a prospectus supplement to the Form S-3 for the issuance and sale of our Class A Common Stock from time to time for an aggregate offering price of up to $400 million through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as the sales agents. We entered into Distribution Agreements with each of these sales agents in February 2023, in connection with the offering. We have up to three years from the date of the Distribution Agreements to sell the shares, however we are not obligated to sell any such shares. Any proceeds from the sale of shares will be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes and would further extend our forecasted cash runway. No shares of our Class A Common Stock were sold pursuant to the ATM offering during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Cash Flows and Material Cash Requirements

The following table provides a summary of our cash flow data for the periods indicated (amounts in thousands):

	For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022
Net cash used in operating activities	$	(182,551	)	$	(155,108	)
Net cash provided by investing activities		(98,564	)		126,244
Net cash provided by financing activities		297,071			6,125

Operating Activities

Our cash flows used in operating activities to date have been primarily driven by the growth in our underlying business to support the research and development of next-generation battery technology. Ahead of starting the pre-pilot and pilot production line operations, we expect our cash used in operating activities to increase significantly before we start to generate any material cash flows from our business. To support our research and development activities and our plan to expand our pre-pilot manufacturing capability, we are expecting cash payments of approximately $8.8 million during the next twelve months and approximately $75.8 million thereafter for the operating lease commitments as of September 30, 2023. From time to time, we also enter into non-cancellable service and purchase commitments. We are expecting cash used in operating activities to include payments of approximately $4.6 million in the next twelve months and approximately $8.6 million thereafter through 2027 for our non-cancellable commitments as of September 30, 2023. As we complete the development of our solid-state, lithium-metal batteries and required process engineering to meet automotive cost targets, we anticipate that research and development operating expenses will increase significantly for the foreseeable future.

Cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily driven by a net loss of $331.7 million, offset by non-cash expense of $128.4 million related to stock-based compensation, non-cash expense of $31.2 million related to depreciation and amortization, non-cash expense of $6.3 million related to the impairment of fixed assets, and non-cash lease expense and amortization of right-of-use assets of $5.8 million. These were adjusted by a decrease of $10.9 million in amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on marketable securities, and a decrease of $5.5 million in accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued compensation.

Cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was primarily driven by a net loss of $302.8 million offset by non-cash expense of $93.0 million related to stock-based compensation, non-cash expense of $19.0 million related to depreciation and amortization, non-cash expense of $7.8 million related to the impairment of a fixed asset, non-cash lease expense and amortization of right-of-use assets of $5.7 million, and non-cash expense of $4.5 million related to amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on marketable securities. This was partially offset by a $5.4 million decrease in prepaid and other assets, an increase of $2.1 million in other long-term liabilities, and an increase of $9.5 million in accounts payable and accrued liabilities mainly driven by higher period-over-period spending in payroll, materials and supplies, professional services and general and administrative to support the growth of the business, specifically in the research and development of our battery technology.

Investing Activities

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Our cash flows from investing activities to date have been comprised of purchases of property and equipment and purchases, maturities and sales of our marketable securities. We expect the level of capital investment to increase substantially in the near future as we acquire the property and equipment for and build out our consolidated QS-0 pre-pilot line.

Cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 primarily consists of $731.5 million used for the purchase of marketable securities and $70.7 million used for the purchase of various property and equipment, primarily to support our research and development activities. These were offset by the proceeds from the maturity and sale of marketable securities of $702.1 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

Cash provided by investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 primarily consists of the maturity and sale of marketable securities of $634.4 million and $15.1 million, respectively, offset by $402.2 million used for the purchase of marketable securities. Cash provided by investing activities also reflects $121.0 million of cash used for various property and equipment, primarily to support our research and development activities.

Financing Activities

Our cash flows from financing activities primarily consist of proceeds from the issuance of common stock and exercise of stock options. Finance lease commitment for QS-0 will result in net cash payments of $5.1 million in the next twelve months and payments of $45.6 million thereafter.

Cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 is primarily due to $288.4 million in net proceeds received from the August 2023 Public Offering, $9.9 million received from the exercise of stock options and our employee stock purchase plan.

Cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 is primarily due to $6.9 million received from the exercise of stock options and our employee stock purchase plan.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We are not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under SEC rules.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements, we are required to use judgment in making estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods.

We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when (1) the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and (2) the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report. We believe that the following accounting estimates are the most critical to fully understand and evaluate our reported financial results, as they require our most subjective or complex management judgments, resulting from the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and unpredictable.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 3, Recent Accounting Pronouncements, to the condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this Report for more information about recent accounting pronouncements, the timing of their adoption, and, to the extent it has made one, of their potential impact on our financial condition and its results of operations and cash flows.

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

There have been no material changes to the Company’s market risk during the three months ended September 30, 2023. For a discussion of the Company’s exposure to market risk, refer to the Company’s market risk disclosures set forth in Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” of our Annual Report.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”)), management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Report. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of September 30, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the three months ended September 30, 2023 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

Information regarding legal proceedings is available in Note 7, Commitments and Contingencies, to the condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this Report.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

The following summary risk factors and other information included in this Report should be carefully considered. The summary risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem less significant may also affect our business operations or financial results. If any of the following risks actually materializes, our stock price, business, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. For more information, see below for more detailed descriptions of each risk factor.

•We face significant challenges in our attempt to develop a solid-state battery cell and produce it at high volumes with acceptable performance, quality, consistency, reliability, throughput, safety, and cost. The pace of development is often not predictable, and we may encounter delays and cost overruns related to planning, permitting, construction, supply chain disruptions, equipment installation, utilities infrastructure installation and operations start-up of our manufacturing facilities. Delays or failures in accomplishing these and other development objectives, including delays in delivering battery cell samples to our customers, may delay or prevent successful commercialization of our products.

•We may not be able to establish supply relationships for necessary materials, components or equipment or may be required to pay more than anticipated for components or equipment, or external factors may negatively affect the reliability of such suppliers, all of which could delay the introduction of our product and negatively impact our business.

•If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our batteries could be harmed.

•Our relationship with Volkswagen is subject to various risks which could adversely affect our business and future prospects. There are no assurances that we will be able to meet Volkswagen’s time, cost, performance and volume requirements, or commercialize solid-state batteries from our joint development relationship with Volkswagen.

•We may not succeed in attracting and retaining customers during the development stage or for high volume commercial production, and our future growth and success depend on our ability to attract and retain customers.

•We may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations and the components necessary to build our solid-state battery cells, and, if we are unable to control these costs and achieve cost advantages in our production of our solid-state battery cells at scale, our business will be adversely affected.

•We rely heavily on our intellectual property portfolio. If we are unable to protect or assert our intellectual property, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

•We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims or other litigation, which may be time-consuming and could cause us to incur substantial costs.

•We may not be able to accurately estimate the future supply and demand for our batteries, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate revenue. If we fail to accurately predict our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays.

•The battery market continues to evolve, is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry or establishing and maintaining confidence in our long-term business prospects among current and future partners and customers.

•Our website, systems, and data we maintain may be subject to intentional disruption, other security incidents, or alleged violations of laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to data handling that could result in liability and adversely impact our reputation and future sales.

•The trading price of our Class A Common Stock has been and may in the future continue to be subject to extreme volatility.

•We have had to restate our previously issued financial statements and in connection with such process, identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. Although this material weakness has been remediated, we cannot provide assurances that additional material weaknesses, or significant deficiencies, will not occur in the future.

•Global climate change, an increase in related legal and regulatory requirements and an increased related emphasis on ESG matters by various stakeholders could negatively affect our business.

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The following risk factors apply to our business and operations. These risk factors are not exhaustive, and investors are encouraged to perform their own investigation with respect to our business, financial condition, and prospects. We may face additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, which may also impair our business. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Report.

Risks Related to Our Technology Development and Scale-Up

We face significant challenges in our attempt to develop a solid-state battery cell and produce it at high volumes with acceptable performance, quality, consistency, reliability, throughput, safety, and costs. The pace of development is often not predictable and we may encounter delays and cost overruns related to planning, permitting, construction, equipment installation, utilities infrastructure installation and operations start-up of our manufacturing facilities. Delays or failures in accomplishing these and other development objectives may delay or prevent successful commercialization of our products.

Developing lithium-metal solid-state batteries that meet the requirements for wide adoption by automotive OEMs is a difficult undertaking and, as far as we are aware, has never been done before. We are still in the development stage and face significant challenges in completing the development of our multi-layer battery cells and in producing battery cells in commercial volumes. Some of the development challenges that could prevent the introduction of our solid-state battery cell include difficulties with increasing the quality, consistency, reliability and production throughput of our separators and cells, increasing the size and layer count of our multi-layer cells, increasing manufacturing scale to produce the volume of cells needed for our technology development and customer applications, installing, bringing up and optimizing higher volume manufacturing equipment, packaging design and engineering to ensure adequate cycle life, pressure management, cost reduction, completion of the rigorous and challenging specifications required by our automotive partners, including but not limited to, calendar life, mechanical, safety, and abuse testing and development of the final manufacturing processes.

Our solid-state separators are in the development stage. These separators have never been used before for battery applications (or to our knowledge, for any other applications) and there are significant quality, consistency, reliability and throughput, cost and manufacturing process challenges to be solved in order for the separators to be produced and used commercially. We are likely to encounter engineering challenges as we increase the lateral dimensions, reduce the thickness and increase the production volume of our solid-state separators. If we are not able to overcome these barriers in developing and producing solid-state separators at commercial volumes, our business could fail.

To achieve target energy density, we need to assemble multiple cell layers, enclose them within a single battery package, improve the cathode capacity loading, and address related technical challenges. Depending upon our customer’s requirements, our battery cell may require dozens of layers within each battery package. We have tested single-layer and multi-layer cells in commercially relevant areas that measure approximately 60x75mm to 70x85mm, and shipped our first 24-layer A0 prototype battery cells in 2022. While we target our first commercial product to have 24 layers, the exact number of layers and dimensions will vary and depend upon specific customer preference, cell design considerations, and other factors. We will need to overcome production challenges to produce sufficient volumes of our solid-state separators and prototype battery cells to complete development of our first commercial product and for customer evaluation and product qualification purposes, as well as subsequent cell designs that may require increased layer counts. We will need to produce these cells at improved yields without compromising performance, and while solving related packaging and reliability challenges in a way that is scalable and low-cost. There are significant engineering and mechanical challenges that we must overcome to advance the development of our battery cells. In addition, we will need to acquire certain equipment that we currently do not possess and develop the manufacturing process necessary to make these multi-layer battery cells at high volumes. If we are not able to overcome these developmental hurdles in building our multi-layer cells, our business is likely to fail.

We are evaluating multiple cathode material compositions for inclusion in our solid-state battery cells and have not yet finalized the cathode composition or formulation, or the design of related cell assembly components. We also have not validated that the current cell design meets all automotive requirements. We have not yet validated a manufacturing process or acquired the equipment necessary to produce high volumes of our cathode electrode or related cell assembly components that meet all commercial requirements. If we are not able to overcome these developmental and manufacturing hurdles our business likely will fail.

Even if we complete development and achieve volume production of our solid-state battery, if the cost, performance characteristics or other specifications of the battery fall short of our targets or our customer requirements, our sales, product pricing and margins would likely be adversely affected.

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In addition, we must advance our manufacturing processes to include more automation, such as automated film handling and stacking, and to use higher volume equipment and processes, such as moving to larger continuous flow equipment. We must also continue process development and innovation efforts towards substantially shortening cycle time, improving process control, and reducing consumables (including energy usage), towards the target end goal of increasing the quality, consistency, reliability and throughput of our solid-state separators and battery cells. We may encounter delays or unexpected challenges in the delivery, installation and operation of the new equipment. Examples include global supply chain issues that impact our equipment suppliers, supplier non-performance and equipment damage in transit. These challenges may be exacerbated in situations where we source certain of our materials and equipment exclusively from one or a few suppliers. Further, we must build QS-0 to provide a sufficient quantity of solid-state separators and cells for internal development, customer sampling, and initial commercial production, and finally, we need to build out QS-0 to serve as the basis for continued manufacturing process development for the subsequent scale up of our manufacturing capabilities, including QS-1. We could encounter significant delays and cost overruns related to planning, permitting, construction, equipment installation and qualification, utilities infrastructure installation, and operations start-up of our manufacturing facilities, including those containing our QS-0 line. For example, we have experienced short-term power outages at our San Jose facilities that have been resolved but similar disruptions may occur in the future; delays associated with material shortage and backups at key shipping ports could impact the capacity at which we can run the facility; and certain of our construction contractors have previously reported delays due to labor strikes of their employees that have been resolved for now but may reoccur in the future. We must substantially improve our manufacturing processes to increase yield and throughput to achieve the cost, performance and volume levels required for commercial shipments. In addition, our multi-layer battery cells must simultaneously satisfy all of the commercial and safety requirements of our customers.

Any delay in the development or manufacturing scale-up of our solid-state battery cells would negatively impact our business as it will delay time to revenue and negatively impact our customer relationships. Additionally, we may encounter delays in obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals or launching our solid-state battery on the market, including delays in entering into agreements for the supply of component parts and manufacturing equipment and supplies. Delays in the launching of our product would materially damage our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and brand.

We may not be able to establish supply relationships for necessary materials, components or equipment or may be required to pay more than anticipated for components or equipment, which could delay the introduction of our product and negatively impact our business.

We rely on third-party suppliers for components and equipment necessary to develop and manufacture our solid-state batteries, including key supplies, such as our cathode material and manufacturing equipment for both our separator and solid-state battery cells. We are collaborating with key suppliers but have not yet entered into agreements for the supply of production quantities for many of these materials. To the extent that we are unable to enter into commercial agreements with these suppliers on beneficial terms, or these suppliers experience difficulties or delays ramping up their supply of materials to meet our requirements, the introduction of our battery will be delayed. For example, we have previously experienced minor disruptions to the supply of process gas due to the shortage of truck drivers related to the COVID-19 pandemic and have also experienced and could continue to experience disruption to the supply of petroleum-derived products as a result of certain weather and geopolitical events and conflicts and any related political or economic responses and counter-responses or otherwise by various global actors. The war in Ukraine and resulting sanctions against Russia by certain countries has also led to an increase in the price of petroleum and petroleum-derived products, which in turn could adversely affect the cost of manufacturing, input material pricing and logistics costs.

We expect to incur significant costs related to procuring materials required to manufacture and assemble our batteries. We expect to use various materials in our batteries that will require us to negotiate purchase agreements and delivery lead-times on advantageous terms. We may not be able to control fluctuation in the prices for these materials or negotiate agreements with suppliers on terms that are beneficial to us. Our business depends on the continued supply of certain proprietary materials for our products. We are exposed to multiple risks relating to the availability and pricing of such materials and components, including reliance upon our vendors to construct and produce equipment to increase volumes, which may lead to delays or the requirement that we make additional upfront payments. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials or components, which may be expected, particularly if inflation rates continue at the high levels seen in 2022 and 2023, would increase our operating costs and negatively impact our prospects. For example, our shipping costs have increased as suppliers have applied fuel surcharges. Costs for certain key raw materials and components have also increased due to fluctuations in global commodity prices. Our suppliers' increasing labor costs have also contributed to rising prices. Given that we have yet to generate any revenue from our business operations, we are also limited in our ability to pass on the cost of any such increases to our customers.

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In addition, the cost of mass-producing battery cells depends in part upon the prices and availability of raw materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and/or other metals. The prices for these materials fluctuate and their available supply may be unstable, depending on market conditions and global demand for these materials. Demand for lithium has increased dramatically in recent years, and is expected to continue to increase, due to the ongoing rapid increase in lithium batteries in portable electronics and the growing EV and energy storage markets. Furthermore, significant deposits of certain of our raw materials, such as lithium, are available in countries that may be subject to political, economic and social instability or where there is an ongoing risk of tariffs or other prohibitions being imposed by the United States or the European Union on the import of such materials from such countries. There can be no assurance that suppliers of these raw materials may be able to meet our volume and other specific needs at reasonable prices, particularly as we ramp up our commercial operations.

Any disruption in the supply of components, equipment or materials could temporarily disrupt research and development activities or production of our batteries until an alternative supplier is able to supply the required material. Changes in business conditions, unforeseen circumstances, political, economic and social instability, governmental changes, disruptions caused by power outages, climate change and natural disasters, and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate, could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components or equipment to us on a timely basis. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

Currency fluctuations, trade barriers, tariffs or shortages and other general economic or political conditions may limit our ability to obtain key components or equipment for our solid-state batteries or significantly increase freight charges, raw material costs and other expenses associated with our business, which could further materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

We may be subject to a number of geopolitical risks, including U.S. and foreign government trade restrictions or sanctions and any political or economic responses or counter-responses to such restrictions or sanctions. As geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and in the Middle East continues or possibly escalates, this may lead to further disruption, instability and volatility in global markets and industries that could negatively impact our operations and our supply chain. The U.S. government and other governments have already imposed severe sanctions and export controls against Russia and Russian interests and may yet impose additional sanctions and controls. The impact of these measures, as well as potential responses to them by Russia, is currently unknown and they could adversely affect the global economy, our business, supply chain, partners or customers. In addition, U.S. restrictions on trade with China and periodic lockdowns due to outbreaks of coronavirus cases in China impact our ability to source certain production equipment, adversely affected supply chains, and may impact our ability to access materials in a timely manner in the event such supply chain disruptions continue or reoccur. Should there be further disruption, instability and volatility in global markets and industries resulting from the dynamics of geopolitical relations between the U.S. and China, our business could be materially and adversely affected, including due to volatility of prices and lead times of equipment and materials sourced from or with a supply chain passing through China.

We may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations and the components necessary to build our solid-state battery cells, and, if we are unable to control these costs and achieve cost advantages in our production of our solid-state battery cells at scale, our business will be adversely affected.

We require significant capital to develop and grow our business and expect to incur significant expenses, including those relating to research and development, raw material procurement, leases, sales and distribution as we build our brand and market our batteries, and general and administrative costs as we scale our operations. For example, there has been volatility in prices and availability of raw material such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium and such material may face industry-wide shortages. Our ability to become profitable in the future will not only depend on our ability to successfully market our solid-state batteries and services, but also to control our costs and achieve our target cost projections, including our projected cost advantage when compared to the costs of building traditional lithium-ion batteries at scale or the costs of building solid-state batteries by other market players. If we are unable to cost efficiently design, manufacture, market, sell and distribute our solid-state batteries and services, our margins, profitability and prospects would be materially and adversely affected. We have not yet produced any solid-state battery cells at commercial capacity or in volume and our forecasted cost advantage for the production of these cells at scale, compared to conventional lithium-ion cells, will require us to achieve rates of throughput, use of electricity and consumables, yield, and levels of automation that we have not yet achieved. If we are unable to achieve these targeted rates, our business will be adversely impacted.

In particular, while we have estimated that eliminating the anode host material and the associated manufacturing costs will provide a savings in production at scale compared to the costs of building traditional lithium-ion batteries at leading manufacturers, that estimate is subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties. To achieve those savings, we will need to achieve significant cost savings in battery design and manufacturing, in addition to the cost savings associated with the elimination of an anode from our solid-state battery cells, while controlling costs associated with the manufacturing of our solid-state separator, including achieving substantial improvements in throughput and yield required to hit commercial targets. Further, we will need to capture industry-wide cost savings in the materials, components, equipment, and processes that we share with traditional lithium-ion battery manufacturing, notably in the cathode, cell design, and factory. We cannot be certain that we will achieve these cost savings or that future efficiency improvements in lithium-ion battery manufacturing will not reduce or eliminate these estimated cost savings.

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We rely on complex machinery for our operations, and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance and costs.

We rely heavily on complex machinery for our operations and the production of our solid-state battery cells, and this equipment has not yet been qualified to operate at large-scale manufacturing. The work required to integrate this equipment into the production of our solid-state battery cells is time intensive and requires us to work closely with the equipment provider to ensure that it works properly for our unique battery technology. This integration work will involve a significant degree of uncertainty and risk and may result in a delay in the scaling up of production or result in additional cost to our battery cells.

To achieve our commercialization goals, we will require large-scale machinery. Such machinery is likely to suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time and may require repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be available when needed, particularly if global supply chain disruptions continue or are not fully resolved. Unexpected malfunctions of our production equipment may significantly affect the intended operational efficiency. In addition, because this equipment has not been used to build our solid-state battery cells before, the operational performance and costs associated with this equipment can be difficult to predict and may be influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, failures by suppliers to deliver necessary components of our products in a timely manner and at prices and volumes acceptable to us, environmental hazards and remediation, difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental permits, damages or defects in systems, industrial accidents, fires, seismic activity and other natural disasters.

Operational problems with our manufacturing equipment could result in the personal injury to or death of workers, the loss of production equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production. In addition, operational problems may result in environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs and potential legal liabilities. These operational problems could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition or prospects.

Customer Risks and Risks Related to Our Partnership with Volkswagen

Our relationship with Volkswagen is subject to various risks which could adversely affect our business and future prospects. There are no assurances that we will be able to commercialize solid-state batteries from our joint development relationship with Volkswagen.

We and Volkswagen have formed a joint venture to collaborate on the manufacturing ramp up of our solid-state battery cell.

There is no assurance that we will be able to complete the development of the solid-state battery cells in the time frame required by the joint venture arrangements or to satisfy Volkswagen's business needs. If we do not complete this development in a timely manner, Volkswagen may terminate its participation in the joint venture. Our joint venture arrangements with Volkswagen provide a framework for our cooperation and requires that we and Volkswagen enter into certain additional arrangements regarding the purchase by the joint venture of solid-state separators from us, the purchase and pricing of the solid-state battery cells that will be produced by the joint venture and sold to Volkswagen, and the terms for licensing our technology to the joint venture. There can be no assurance that we will be able to agree with Volkswagen on these key elements on terms that are financially beneficial for us or that we will be able to enter into the additional arrangements, including any purchase orders, with Volkswagen for commercialization under the joint venture arrangements.

The commercial terms of the purchase by Volkswagen of the output of the joint venture will depend on the performance of our solid-state battery and the demand for the vehicles that Volkswagen develops to utilize the solid-state battery cells that will be produced by the joint venture. If we cannot complete the development of our solid-state battery cells, if Volkswagen does not select our solid-state battery cell for commercialization or if there is a delay in the introduction of the Volkswagen vehicles that intend to use our solid-state battery cells, our business will be harmed.

The strong relationship that we have developed with Volkswagen and rights under the joint venture agreements may deter other automotive OEMs from working closely with us. If we are not able to expand our other customer relationships, or if we become too dependent on Volkswagen for our revenue, our business could be harmed.

Volkswagen may have economic, business or legal interests or goals that are inconsistent with our goals. Any significant disagreements with Volkswagen may impede our ability to maximize the benefits of our partnerships and slow the commercialization of our solid-state battery. Our joint venture arrangements may require us, among other things, to pay certain costs or to make certain capital investments or to seek Volkswagen’s consent to take certain actions. In addition, if Volkswagen is unable or unwilling to meet its economic or other obligations under the joint venture arrangements, we may be required to either fulfill those obligations alone to ensure the ongoing success of the joint venture or to dissolve and liquidate the joint venture. These factors could result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. In 2022, Volkswagen announced the formation of PowerCo. SE, a company intended to consolidate its activities along the value chain for batteries – from processing raw materials to developing a unified Volkswagen battery to managing the European gigafactories. We cannot predict the extent to which PowerCo. SE’s activities may pose a competitive risk to, or otherwise be in conflict with, our business.

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If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market, and sell our batteries could be harmed.

Once commercial production of our solid-state battery cells commences, our batteries may contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them to not perform as expected or that may require repairs, recalls, and design changes. Our batteries are inherently complex and incorporate technology and components that have not been used for other applications and that may contain defects and errors, particularly when first introduced. We have a limited frame of reference from which to evaluate the long-term performance of our solid-state batteries. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in our solid-state batteries prior to the sale to potential consumers. If our batteries fail to perform as expected, we could lose design wins and customers may delay deliveries, terminate further orders or initiate product recalls, each of which could adversely affect our sales and brand and could adversely affect our business, prospects, and results of operations.

We may not succeed in attracting and retaining customers during the development stage or for high volume commercial production, and our future growth and success depend on our ability to attract and retain customers.

We may not succeed in attracting and retaining customers during the development stage or for high volume commercial production. For example, we may be unsuccessful at attracting additional customers, in which case we may have excess capacity in our production facilities. In addition, if we are unable to attract new customers in need of high-volume commercial production of our products, whether due to inadequate product-market fit or for other reasons, our business may suffer. Conversely, we may not be able to retain existing customers in case of delays or capacity limitations in the development or manufacturing scale-up of our solid-state battery cells, which would negatively impact our business.

Many of our potential customers tend to be large enterprises that often undertake a significant evaluation process and are frequently subject to budget constraints, multiple approvals and unanticipated administrative, processing and other delays, that result in a lengthy sales cycle. Therefore, our future success will depend on our ability to effectively sell our products to such large customers. Sales to these end-customers involve risks that may not be present (or that are present to a lesser extent) with sales to smaller customers. These risks include, but are not limited to, (i) increased purchasing power and leverage held by large customers in negotiating contractual arrangements with us, including a greater ability to push back on attempts to pass on increased operating and procurement costs and require provisions that can lead to a delay in revenue recognition, (ii) longer sales and implementation cycles and the associated risk that substantial time and resources may be spent on a potential end-customer that elects not to purchase our solutions, and (iii) greater product functionality and scalability requirements, including a broader range of services. All of these factors can add further risk to business conducted with these potential customers.

While we have signed customer sampling agreements with a number of OEMs, we are still in the process of development and manufacturing scale-up of our solid-state battery cells and there is no assurance or guarantee that any of our customers or potential customers will be able to successfully complete their testing and validation processes and, therefore, enter into definitive volume production agreements with us, or conversely, that we can sufficiently scale up the manufacturing of our solid-state battery cells in the time frames required by such customers and potential customers.

If the Put or Call Rights under our joint venture agreements with Volkswagen are exercised, the joint venture and Volkswagen’s purchase commitment will be terminated and our business could be harmed.

The joint venture structure we agreed to with Volkswagen is intended, in part, to protect our intellectual property. Certain key battery technology will continue to be owned by us and will be provided to the joint venture through a limited license for purposes of QS-1. We and Volkswagen still need to agree on the license terms for this battery technology license for QS-1 Expansion. The joint venture terminates upon the earliest to occur of (i) Volkswagen exercising specified put rights in the event of, amongst others, (a) a change of control of our company, or (b) the failure by us to meet specified development milestones within certain timeframes, (ii) us exercising specified call rights or Volkswagen exercising specified put rights if, among other things, the parties cannot agree to commercial terms for QS-1 or QS-1 Expansion within certain timeframes, (iii) a certain date after commencement of production of a Volkswagen series production vehicle using our battery cells (or an alternative end date if no such production was commenced after certain technical milestones with respect to our battery cell technology were reached) and (iv) December 31, 2028.

The commercialization timeline originally contemplated in 2018 by the joint venture agreements, and by subsequent amendments, has changed, and at the time of filing of our Annual Report, certain milestones contemplated by the joint venture agreements had not been met. As a result, Volkswagen’s right to exercise its put rights has been triggered. If Volkswagen exercises such rights, the joint venture with Volkswagen and Volkswagen’s commitments to purchase output capacity from the joint venture would terminate, and we would be obligated to purchase Volkswagen’s interest in the joint venture for its book value. As of September 30, 2023, the book value of this interest was approximately $1.7 million and is recorded as a redeemable non-controlling interest in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. To the extent that we and Volkswagen allocate additional money to the joint venture in the future, the cost to us of a decision by Volkswagen to exercise its put rights would increase. There can be no assurance that Volkswagen will not decide to exercise these or any other put rights that it may have in the future with respect to its interest in the joint venture.

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In the event that Volkswagen exercises its put rights and the joint venture and Volkswagen’s purchase commitment are terminated, our ability to ramp up our production capabilities, our reputation, investors’ perception of us, and the price of our Class A Common Stock could be adversely impacted, and our business could be harmed.

We may not be able to accurately estimate the future supply and demand for our batteries, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate revenue. If we fail to accurately predict and forecast our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays.

It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we may have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. We anticipate being required to provide forecasts of our demand to our current and future suppliers prior to the scheduled delivery of products to potential customers. Currently, there is no historical basis for making judgments on the demand for our batteries or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver batteries, or our profitability in the future. If we overestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have excess inventory, which indirectly would increase our costs. If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt manufacturing of our products and result in delays in shipments and revenues. In addition, lead times for materials and components that our suppliers order may vary significantly and depend on factors such as the specific supplier, contract terms and demand for each component at a given time. If we fail to order sufficient quantities of product components in a timely manner, the delivery of batteries to our potential customers could be delayed, which would harm our business, financial condition and operating results.

Our future growth and success are dependent upon consumers’ willingness to adopt EVs.

Our growth and future demand for our products is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of alternative fuel vehicles in general and EVs in particular. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many countries, companies and consumers have accelerated targets with respect to decreasing dependency on fossil fuels, which in turn is expected to increase demand for EVs; however, the market for new EVs continues to evolve rapidly and is also characterized by rapidly changing technologies, competitive pricing and other competitive factors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, and changing consumer demands and behaviors. If the market for EVs in general does not develop as expected, or develops more slowly than expected, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be harmed.

Concentration of ownership among a few stockholders and our executive officers, directors and their affiliates may prevent other stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions.

As of September 30, 2023, our executive officers, directors and their affiliates as a group and each of our stockholders who own 5% or more of our outstanding Class A Common Stock or our Class B Common Stock (together, the “Common Stock”), in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 26.4% of our Class A Common Stock and 94.2% of our Class B Common Stock outstanding, representing approximately 65.3% of the vote. As a result, these stockholders, including Volkswagen, will be able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, any amendment of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and approval of significant corporate transactions. In addition, Volkswagen holds the right to designate two directors to our Board. This control could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders and of their votes.

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Our Intellectual Property Risks

We rely heavily on our intellectual property portfolio. If we are unable to protect or assert our intellectual property, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

We may not be able to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position. We rely upon a combination of the intellectual property protections afforded by patents, trademarks and trade secrets in the United States and other jurisdictions, as well as license agreements and other contractual protections, to establish, maintain and enforce rights in our proprietary technologies. In addition, we seek to protect our intellectual property through nondisclosure and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants, and through non-disclosure agreements with business partners and other third parties. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties, including our business partners, may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain, use or practice our intellectual property without our consent. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken or will take to prevent misappropriation may not be sufficient. Any enforcement efforts we undertake, including litigation, could be time-consuming and expensive and could divert management’s attention, which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, existing intellectual property laws and contractual remedies may afford less protection than needed to safeguard our intellectual property portfolio.

Patent, trademark and trade secret laws vary significantly throughout the world. A number of foreign countries do not protect intellectual property to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Government actions may also undermine our intellectual property. For example, a decree was adopted by the Russian government in March 2022, allowing Russian companies and individuals to exploit inventions owned by patentees from the United States without consent or compensation. Therefore, our intellectual property may not be as strong or as easily enforced outside of the United States and efforts to protect against the unauthorized use of our intellectual property, technology and other proprietary rights may be more expensive and difficult outside of the United States. Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property could result in our competitors using our intellectual property to offer products, potentially resulting in the loss of some of our competitive advantage and a decrease in our revenue which would adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and could cause us to incur substantial costs.

Companies, organizations or individuals, including our current and future competitors, may hold or obtain patents, trademarks or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop or sell our products, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive requests from third parties inquiring whether we are infringing their intellectual property and/or seek court declarations that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property relating to batteries, ceramics, electric motors or electronic power management systems may bring suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise asserting their rights and seeking licenses. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property, we may be required to do one or more of the following:

•cease selling, incorporating or using products or methods that incorporate or otherwise infringe or misappropriate the challenged intellectual property;

•pay substantial damages;

•obtain a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property, which license may not be available on reasonable terms or at all; or

•redesign our batteries.

In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology on reasonable terms, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not well-founded, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management’s attention.

We also license patents and other intellectual property and technology from third parties, and we may face claims that our use of this intellectual property infringes the rights of others. In such cases, we may seek indemnification from our licensors under our license contracts with them. However, our rights to indemnification may be unavailable or insufficient to cover our costs and losses, depending on our use of the technology, whether we choose to retain control over conduct of the litigation, and other factors.

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Our patent applications may not result in issued patents or our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from interfering with our commercialization of our products.

Our patent applications may not result in issued patents, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to ours. The status of patents involves complex legal and factual questions and the breadth of claims allowed is uncertain. As a result, we cannot be certain that the patent applications that we file will result in patents being issued, or that our patents and any patents that may be issued to us will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. Numerous patents and pending patent applications owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and are developing our technology. Any of our existing or pending patents may be challenged by others on the basis that they are invalid or unenforceable. Furthermore, patent applications filed in foreign countries are subject to laws, rules and procedures that differ from those of the United States, and thus we cannot be certain that foreign patent applications related to issued U.S. patents will be issued.

Even if our patent applications succeed and we are issued patents in accordance with them, these patents may still be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope in the future. The rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with meaningful protection or competitive advantages, and some foreign countries provide significantly less effective patent enforcement than in the United States. In addition, the claims under any patents that issue from our patent applications may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. The intellectual property of others could also bar us from licensing and exploiting any patents that issue from our pending applications. In addition, patents issued to us may be infringed upon or designed around by others and others may obtain patents that we need to license or design around, either of which would increase costs and may adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Our Business Risks

The battery market continues to evolve, is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry or establishing and maintaining confidence in our long-term business prospects among current and future partners and customers.

The battery market in which we compete continues to evolve and is highly competitive. To date, we have focused our efforts on our lithium-metal solid-state battery technology, which is being designed to outperform conventional lithium-ion battery technology. However, lithium-ion battery technology has been widely adopted and our current competitors have, and future competitors may have, greater resources than we do and may also be able to devote greater resources to the development of their current and future technologies. These competitors also may have greater access to customers and may be able to establish cooperative or strategic relationships amongst themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources and competitive positioning. In addition, lithium-ion battery manufacturers may continue to reduce cost and expand supply of conventional batteries and therefore reduce the prospects for our business or negatively impact the ability for us to sell our products at a market-competitive price and yet at sufficient margins.

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Many automotive OEMs and a number of battery technology companies are researching and investing in solid-state battery efforts and, in some cases, in battery development and production. There are a number of companies seeking to develop alternative approaches to solid-state battery technology, including lithium-metal batteries. We expect competition in battery technology and EVs to intensify due to increased demand for these vehicles and a regulatory push for EVs, continuing globalization, and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. For example, in 2022, Volkswagen announced the formation of PowerCo. SE, a company intended to consolidate its activities along the value chain for batteries – from processing raw materials to developing a unified Volkswagen battery to managing the European gigafactories. Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in battery technologies made by competitors may materially adversely affect the sales, pricing and gross margins of our batteries. If a competing technology is developed that has superior operational or price performance, our business will be harmed. Similarly, if we fail to accurately predict and ensure that our battery technology can address customers’ changing needs or emerging technological trends, or if our customers fail to achieve the benefits expected from our solid-state batteries, our business will be harmed.

We must continue to commit significant resources to develop our battery technology to establish a competitive position, and these commitments will be made without knowing whether such investments will result in products potential customers will accept. There is no assurance we will successfully identify new customer requirements, develop and bring our batteries to market on a timely basis, or that products and technologies developed by others will not render our batteries obsolete or noncompetitive, any of which would adversely affect our business and operating results.

Customers will be less likely to purchase our batteries if they are not convinced that our business will succeed in the long term. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed in the long term. Accordingly, to build and maintain our business, we must maintain confidence among current and future partners, customers, suppliers, analysts, ratings agencies and other parties in our long-term financial viability and business prospects. Maintaining such confidence may be particularly complicated by certain factors including those that are largely outside of our control, such as our limited operating history, market unfamiliarity with our products, any delays in scaling manufacturing, delivery and service operations to meet demand, competition and uncertainty regarding the future of EVs and our eventual production and sales performance compared with market expectations.

We are an early-stage company with a history of financial losses and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses from operations for the foreseeable future.

We incurred a loss from operations of approximately $120.9 million and $354.4 million and a net loss of approximately $110.6 million and $331.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, and an accumulated deficit of approximately $2.8 billion from our inception in 2010 through September 30, 2023. We believe that we will continue to incur operating losses each quarter until at least the time we begin significant production of our lithium-metal solid-state batteries, and such production is not expected to occur in the near future.

We expect the rate at which we will incur losses to be significantly higher in future periods as we, among other things, continue to incur significant expenses in connection with the design, development and manufacturing of our batteries; expand our research and development activities; invest in manufacturing capabilities; build up inventories of components for our batteries; increase our sales and marketing activities; develop our distribution infrastructure; and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. We may find that these efforts are more expensive than we currently anticipate or that these efforts may not result in revenues, which would further increase our losses.

Our expectations and targets regarding the times when we will achieve various technical, pre-production and production objectives depend in large part upon assumptions and analyses developed by us. If these assumptions or analyses prove to be incorrect, we may not achieve these milestones when expected or at all.

Our expectations and targets regarding the times when we will achieve various technical, pre-production and production objectives reflect our current expectations and estimates. Whether we will achieve these objectives when we expect depends on a number of factors, many of which are outside our control, including, but not limited to:

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•success and timing of development activity;

•unanticipated technical or manufacturing challenges or delays;

•technological developments relating to lithium-ion, lithium-metal solid-state or other batteries that could adversely affect the commercial potential of our technologies;

•whether we can obtain sufficient capital to continue our research and development activities, build our manufacturing facilities and sustain and grow our business;

•adverse developments in our joint venture relationship with Volkswagen, including termination of the joint venture or delays in negotiating commercial terms for QS-1 or QS-1 Expansion;

•our ability to manage our growth;

•whether we can manage relationships with key suppliers;

•our ability to retain existing key management, integrate recent hires and attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; and

•the overall strength and stability of domestic and international economies.

Unfavorable changes in any of these or other factors, most of which are beyond our control, could materially and adversely affect our ability to achieve our objectives when planned and our business, results of operations and financial results.

We may be negatively impacted by epidemics, pandemics, and other outbreaks.

We face various risks related to epidemics, pandemics, and other outbreaks. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in consumer and business behavior, a severe market downturn, and restrictions on business and individual activities, as well as in significant volatility in the global economy and reduced economic activity. The spread of COVID-19 also impacted our potential customers and our suppliers by disrupting the manufacturing, delivery and overall supply chain of battery, EV and equipment manufacturers and suppliers and led to a global decrease in battery and EV sales in markets around the world. Specifically, we experienced minor disruptions to the supply of process gas due to the shortage of truck drivers related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, government authorities initially implemented numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, and business shutdowns, and later vacillated between the easing of restrictive measures and reinstating such measures or threatening to do so based on the severity of the pandemic. Employees at our headquarters located in San Jose, California were subject to a stay-at-home order from the state and local governments. These measures limited operations in our San Jose headquarters and adversely impacted our employees, research and development activities and operations (especially since various aspects of our business cannot be conducted remotely, including many aspects of the development and manufacturing of our solid-state material and our battery cells) and the operations of our suppliers, vendors and business partners.

In the event of a further epidemic, pandemic or other outbreak, including a resurgence of COVID-19 or a related strain of such virus, we may face similar adverse effects as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we may be required to take a variety of measures as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, suppliers, vendors and business partners, and any such measures may adversely affect our future manufacturing plans, supply chain sales and marketing activities, business and results of operations.

The extent to which any such epidemic, pandemic or other outbreak would impact our business, prospects and results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the duration and spread of any such epidemic, pandemic or other outbreak, the actions to contain the outbreak or treat its impact, including the development, distribution and administration of effective vaccines, a waning immunity among persons already vaccinated, an increase in fatigue or skepticism with respect to initial or booster vaccinations, the severity of breakthrough cases and variants, including potentially vaccine-resistant variants, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating activities can resume. Even after any such epidemic, pandemic or other outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience an adverse impact to our business as a result of the global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future, or due to changes in consumer behavior, for example an increase in remote work leading to a decrease in demand for automobiles.

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Global climate change, an increase in related legal and regulatory requirements and an increased related emphasis on ESG matters by various stakeholders could negatively affect our business.

Increased public awareness and concern over climate change may result in new or increased legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment. Increased costs of energy or compliance with emissions standards due to increased legal or regulatory requirements may cause disruptions in or increased costs associated with our development and manufacturing operations. Any failure to achieve our goals with respect to reducing our impact on the environment or a perception (whether or not valid) of our failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment or to effectively respond to new, or changes in, legal or regulatory requirements concerning climate change or other sustainability concerns could adversely affect our business and reputation.

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation, regulatory actions or government investigations and inquiries, which could have an adverse impact on our profitability and consolidated financial position.

We may be involved in a variety of litigation, other claims, suits, regulatory actions or government investigations and inquiries and commercial or contractual disputes that, from time to time, are significant. See Note 7, Commitments and Contingencies, to the condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this Report for a description of pending litigation matters that we are involved in.

In addition, from time to time, we may also be involved in legal proceedings and investigations arising in the normal course of business including, without limitation, commercial or contractual disputes, including warranty claims and other disputes with potential customers and suppliers; intellectual property matters; personal injury claims; environmental issues; tax matters; and employment matters.

It is difficult to predict the outcome or ultimate financial exposure, if any, represented by these matters, and there can be no assurance that any such exposure will not be material. Such claims may also negatively affect our reputation.

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We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

We may become subject to product liability claims, even those without merit, which could harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. We face inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our batteries do not perform as expected, fail to meet relevant safety standards or requirements, or malfunction resulting in personal injury or death. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced given our batteries have not yet been commercially tested or mass produced. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our batteries and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of other future battery candidates, which would have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and operating results. Any insurance coverage might not be sufficient to cover all potential product liability claims. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages either in excess of our coverage, or outside of our coverage, may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial condition. We may not be able to secure additional product liability insurance coverage on commercially acceptable terms or at reasonable costs when needed, particularly if we do face liability for our products and are forced to make a claim under our policy.

Our website, systems, and data we maintain may be subject to intentional disruption, other security incidents, or alleged violations of laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to data handling that could result in liability and adversely impact our reputation and future sales.

The research, development, and manufacturing of our batteries, supporting information systems (including internal systems such as research and development systems or external systems such as our website or third-parties’ systems), and data that we maintain may be subject to intentional or inadvertent disruption, security incidents, or violations of laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to data handling. Any such matters, or the perceptions that any of them have occurred, that could result in private claims, demands and litigation, regulatory investigations and other proceedings, and fines and other liabilities and adversely impact our reputation and future sales. We expect to face significant challenges with respect to information security and maintaining the security and integrity of our systems and other systems used in our business, as well as with respect to the data stored on or processed by these systems. Advances in technology, an increased level of sophistication, and an increased level of expertise of hackers, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other factors can result in a compromise or breach of, or other security incident with respect to, the systems used in our business or of security measures used in our business to protect confidential information, personal information, and other data. Additionally, remote working further increases the security threats that we and our third-party service providers, suppliers, and customers face.

The availability and effectiveness of our batteries, and our ability to conduct our business and operations, depend on the continued operation of information technology and communications systems, some of which we have yet to develop or otherwise obtain the ability to use. Systems used in our business by us and our and our third-party service providers, suppliers, and customers, including data centers and other information technology systems, may be vulnerable to damage or interruption. Such systems could also be subject to break-ins, corporate sabotage or state-sponsored espionage, and intentional acts of vandalism, infection by ransomware, viruses, or other malware, as well as disruptions and security incidents as a result of non-technical issues, including intentional or inadvertent acts or omissions by employees, service providers, suppliers, customers or others, to among other things, properly implement our software and related security patches and updates. We use service providers to help provide certain services, and any such service providers face similar security and system disruption risks as us. Some of the systems used in our business are not and will not be fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Any data security incidents or other disruptions to any data centers or other systems used in our business by us and our and our third-party service providers, suppliers, and customers could result in lengthy interruptions in our service and may adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Significant capital and other resources may be required in efforts to protect against information security breaches, security incidents, and system disruptions, or to alleviate problems caused by actual or suspected information security breaches and other data security incidents and system disruptions. The resources required may increase over time as the methods used by hackers and others engaged in online criminal activities and otherwise seeking to obtain unauthorized access to systems or data, and to disrupt systems, are increasingly sophisticated and constantly evolving. In addition, the risk of cyberattacks may be heightened in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Such cyberattacks could disrupt the economy more generally and could also impact our operations either directly or indirectly.

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Security breaches and/or incidents can also remain undetected for an extended period, including situations in which hackers mine data over time or optimize the timing and potency of their cyberattacks or disruptions. Any failure or perceived failure by us or our service providers to prevent information security breaches or other security incidents or system disruptions, or to comply with privacy policies or any actual or asserted legal obligations relating to privacy or information security, or any compromise of security that results in or is perceived or reported to result in unauthorized access to, or loss, theft, alteration, release, transfer, unavailability, or other processing of, our information, or any personal information or other customer data or confidential information, that we or our service providers maintain or otherwise process, could cause our potential customers to lose trust in us, result in loss or theft of proprietary or sensitive data and intellectual property, could harm our reputation and competitive position and could expose us to legal claims, demands, and litigation, regulatory investigations and proceedings, and fines, penalties, and other liability. Any such actual or perceived security breach, security incident or disruption could also divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel and could require us to incur significant costs and operational consequences in connection with investigating, remediating, eliminating and putting in place additional equipment and devices designed to prevent actual or perceived security breaches and other incidents and system disruptions.

Additionally, our handling of data relating to individuals is subject to a variety of laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, and data security, and may become subject to additional obligations, including contractual obligations, relating to our maintenance and other processing of this data. Laws, regulations, and other actual and potential obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and data security are evolving rapidly, and we expect to potentially be subject to new laws and regulations, or new interpretations of laws and regulations, in the future in various jurisdictions. These laws, regulations, and other obligations, and changes in their interpretation, could require us to modify our operations and practices, restrict our activities, and increase our costs, and it is possible that these laws, regulations, and other obligations may be inconsistent with one another or be interpreted or asserted to be inconsistent with our business or practices. Any failure or perceived failure to comply with any applicable laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or data security could also result in regulatory investigations and proceedings, and misuse of or failure to secure data relating to individuals could also result in claims and proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, penalties and other liability, and damage to our reputation and credibility, and could have a negative impact on potential future revenues and profits.

Our insurance policies may not cover all or any of the potential losses arising from any such disruption, failure, security breach, or incident impacting our systems or data or third-party systems where information important to our business operations is maintained.

Our ability to manage our business and monitor results is highly dependent upon IT systems. Problems with the design, integration, implementation or operation of these systems could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are highly dependent upon a variety of IT systems to operate our business. To continue to support our growth, enhancements to our current systems and implementation of new IT systems will involve substantial expenditures, as well as design, development and implementation activities. We must also routinely update our IT infrastructure and our various IT systems throughout the organization, or we may not continue to meet our current and future business needs. Modification, upgrade or replacement of such systems may be costly and if we are unable to successfully implement any new IT system, remediate, update or integrate our existing systems at times when necessary, our business and operations could be negatively impacted. Furthermore, IT systems are vulnerable to risks and damages from a variety of sources, including telecommunications or network failures, malicious human acts and natural disasters. Moreover, despite network security and back-up measures, some of our and our vendors’ servers are potentially vulnerable to physical or electronic break-ins, computer viruses and similar disruptive problems. In addition, if any issues concerning the IT systems result in, or contribute to, a delay in our timely reporting of our results of operations for any period or our not filing one or more periodic reports with the SEC on time, the price of our Class A Common Stock could decline substantially, and we could face costly lawsuits, including securities class actions, and also could impair our ability to raise necessary capital to run our operations and progress our product development efforts. Further, as we are dependent upon our ability to gather and promptly transmit accurate information to key decision makers, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected if our information systems do not allow us to transmit accurate information, even for a short period of time. Failure to properly or adequately address these issues could negatively impact our ability to perform necessary business operations, which could adversely affect our reputation, competitive position, business, results of operations and financial condition.

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We implemented a new enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system in the second quarter of 2022. The ERP is designed to accurately maintain the company's books and records and provide important information to the company's management team for use in the operation of the business. The Company's ERP has required the investment of significant human and financial resources, and we will continue to make investment in improving and adding new functionality to the system. If the ERP system or any other implemented system does not operate as intended, it could adversely affect our financial reporting systems and our ability to produce financial reports and process transactions.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we conduct or in the future may conduct activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. The FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 prohibit us and our officers, directors, employees and business partners acting on our behalf, including agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing anything of value to a “foreign official” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The FCPA also requires companies to make and keep books, records and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls. The U.K. Bribery Act also prohibits non-governmental “commercial” bribery and soliciting or accepting bribes. A violation of these laws or regulations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. Our policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these regulations may not be sufficient and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners could engage in improper conduct for which we may be held responsible.

Non-compliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering or financial and economic sanctions laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. In addition, changes in economic sanctions laws in the future could adversely impact our business and investments in our Class A Common Stock.

Recent and potential tariffs imposed by the U.S. government or a global trade war could increase costs and inhibit future sales of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The U.S. government has and continues to make significant changes in U.S. trade policy and has taken certain actions that could negatively impact U.S. trade, including imposing tariffs on certain imported goods and prohibiting certain imports into the United States. In retaliation, China has implemented, and continues to evaluate imposing additional tariffs on a wide range of American products. There is also a concern that the imposition of additional tariffs by the United States could result in the adoption of tariffs by other countries as well, leading to a global trade war. More specifically, the U.S. government has from time to time imposed significant tariffs on and prohibited imports of certain product categories imported from China. Such tariffs and prohibitions, if expanded to other categories, could have a significant impact on our business, particularly the importation of parts of our batteries and certain production equipment that is manufactured in, or with inputs from, China. If we attempt to renegotiate prices with suppliers or diversify our supply chain in response to tariffs, such efforts may not yield immediate results or may be ineffective. We might also consider increasing prices to our customers once we commence sales of our products; however, this could reduce the competitiveness of our products and adversely affect net sales. If we fail to manage these dynamics successfully, gross margins and profitability could be adversely affected. As of the date of this report, tariffs have not had a material impact on our business, but increased tariffs or trade restrictions implemented by the United States or other countries in connection with a global trade war could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot predict what actions may ultimately be taken with respect to tariffs or trade relations between the United States and China or other countries, what products may be subject to such actions, or what actions may be taken by the other countries in retaliation. Any further deterioration in the relations between the United States and China could exacerbate these actions and other governmental intervention.

The U.S. or foreign governments may take additional administrative, legislative, or regulatory action that could materially interfere with our ability to sell products in certain countries. Sustained uncertainty about, or worsening of, current global economic conditions and further escalation of trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners, especially China, could result in a global economic slowdown and long-term changes to global trade, including retaliatory trade restrictions which may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any alterations to our business strategy or operations made in order to adapt to or comply with any such changes would be time-consuming and expensive, and certain of our competitors may be better suited to withstand or react to these changes.

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Inflation and increased interest rates may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations could be adversely impacted by inflation, primarily from higher material, labor, and construction costs. To date, we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our results of operations, capital resources or liquidity; however, we have experienced increases in prices of raw materials, components and labor costs. Our future mitigation strategies may include considering alternative vendors, vertically integrating certain aspects of our supply chain and redesigning our product or production process. At this time, it is difficult to determine what impact these inflationary pressures will have on our long-term growth strategies, as there is uncertainty regarding how long higher levels of inflation may persist, and to what level we will be successful in passing these increased costs to our customers upon commercialization of our product. If we are not able to fully offset higher costs through price increases or other corrective measures, this may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our management has limited experience in operating a public company.

Some of our executive officers have limited experience in the management of a publicly traded company. As a public company, we are subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under federal securities laws, and certain executives’ limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities which will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of our Company. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience, and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States.

Our Regulatory Risks

We are subject to substantial regulation and unfavorable changes to, or failure by us to comply with, these regulations could substantially harm our business and operating results.

Our batteries, and the sale of EVs and motor vehicles in general, are subject to substantial regulation under international, federal, state and local laws, including export control laws. We expect to incur significant costs in complying with these regulations. Regulations related to the battery and EV industry and alternative energy are currently evolving and we face risks associated with changes to these regulations as well as potentially also to heightened regulatory scrutiny. For example, laws and regulations may be passed that make manufacturers financially responsible for the collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of certain products, including batteries for EVs. The costs of complying with such requirements, as they now exist or as may be introduced in the future, and the associated administrative burden could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, particularly if we are unable to pass on such costs to our customers.

As a result of the Company’s status as a special purpose acquisition company before the Business Combination, we are also subject to regulations and legal circumstances that differ from other publicly traded companies that did not complete a business combination.

Internationally, there may be laws and regulations in jurisdictions we have not yet entered or laws we are unaware of in jurisdictions we have entered that may restrict our sales or other business practices. The laws in this area can be complex, difficult to interpret and may change over time. Continued regulatory limitations and other obstacles that may interfere with our ability to commercialize our products could have a negative and material impact on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

To the extent regulations change, we may not comply with applicable international, federal, state or local regulations, which would have an adverse effect on our business. Compliance with changing regulations could be burdensome, time consuming, and expensive. To the extent compliance with new regulations is cost prohibitive, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results would be adversely affected.

We are subject to requirements relating to environmental and safety regulations and environmental remediation matters which could adversely affect our business, results of operation and reputation.

We are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, solid and hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal, and remediation of releases of hazardous materials. There are significant capital, operating and other costs associated with compliance with these environmental laws and regulations. Environmental laws and regulations, including used battery recycling, recovery and reuse requirements, may become more stringent in the future, which could increase costs of compliance or require us to manufacture our products using alternative technologies and materials.

Federal, state and local authorities also regulate a variety of matters, including, but not limited to, health, safety and permitting in addition to the environmental matters discussed above. New legislation and regulations may require us to make material changes to our operations, resulting in significant increases to the cost of production.

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Our manufacturing process will have hazards such as but not limited to hazardous materials, machines with moving parts, and high voltage and/or high current electrical systems typical of large manufacturing equipment and related safety incidents. There may be safety incidents that damage machinery or our products, slow or stop production, or harm employees. Consequences may include litigation, regulation, fines, increased insurance premiums, mandates to temporarily halt production, workers’ compensation claims, or other actions that impact our company brand, finances, or ability to operate.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions

Our Class A Common Stock has been and may in the future continue to be subject to extreme volatility.

The trading price of our Class A Common Stock has been and may in the future continue to be subject to extreme volatility. For example, from November 27, 2020, the date our Class A Common Stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), through September 30, 2023, our Class A Common Stock has experienced an intra-day trading high of $132.73 per share and an intra-day trading low of $5.11 per share. At certain times during such period, the daily fluctuations in the trading price of our Class A Common Stock were substantially greater than 10%. We cannot predict the magnitude of future fluctuations in the trading price of our Class A Common Stock. The trading price of our Class A Common Stock may be affected by a number of factors, including events described in the risk factors set forth in this Report and in our other reports filed with the SEC from time to time, as well as our operating results, financial condition and other events or factors. Any of the factors listed below could have a material adverse effect on your investment in our securities. Factors affecting the trading price of our securities may include:

•announcements by us or our competitors regarding technical developments and levels of performance achieved by our or their battery technologies;

•announcements by us regarding the timing of our production objectives, including regarding QS-0, QS-1, and QS-1 Expansion;

•announcements by us or Volkswagen regarding developments in our relationship with Volkswagen, or changes in Volkswagen's investment in us;

•our ability to bring our products and technologies to market on a timely basis, or at all;

•our operating results or development efforts failing to meet the expectation of securities analysts or investors in a particular period;

•actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial results or the quarterly financial results of companies perceived to be similar to it;

•changes in the market’s expectations about our operating results or the electric vehicle industry;

•success of competitors actual or perceived development efforts;

•changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts concerning the Company or the battery industry in general;

•operating and share price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to the Company;

•disputes or other developments related to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain intellectual property protection for our technologies;

•changes in laws and regulations affecting our business;

•our ability to meet compliance requirements;

•commencement of, or involvement in, litigation involving the Company;

•changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of securities or the incurrence of additional debt;

•the volume of shares of Class A Common Stock available for public sale;

•the level of demand for our stock, including the amount of short interest in our Class A Common Stock;

•any major change in our Board or management;

•sales of substantial amounts of the shares of Class A Common Stock by our directors, executive officers or significant stockholders, including Volkswagen, or the perception that such sales could occur;

•changes in the estimates and assumptions that we make in the preparation of our financial statements may result in the fluctuation of our results of operations; and

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•general economic and political conditions such as recessions, interest rates, fuel prices, international currency fluctuations, acts of terrorism, hostilities or the perception that hostilities may be imminent, and military conflict and acts of war.

Broad market and industry factors may materially harm the market price of our securities irrespective of our operating performance. The stock market has experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the particular companies affected. The trading prices and valuations of securities may not be predictable. A loss of investor confidence in the market or the securities of other companies which investors perceive to be similar to the Company could depress the market price of our securities regardless of our business, prospects, financial conditions or results of operations. A decline in the market price of our securities also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future.

Following certain periods of volatility in the market price of our securities, we may become the subject of securities litigation. We have experienced and may in the future experience additional litigation following periods of volatility. This type of litigation may result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources.

Sales of substantial amounts of our Class A Common Stock in the public markets by us or our stockholders could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could reduce the price that our Class A Common Stock might otherwise attain.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Class A Common Stock in the public market could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders, and even the perception that such sales could occur could adversely affect the market price of our Class A Common Stock, which may make it more difficult for you to sell your Class A Common Stock at a time and price that you deem appropriate. As of September 30, 2023, we have approximately 429.6 million shares of Class A Common Stock and 59.9 million shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding. For example, in August 2023, we completed an underwritten public offering of our Class A Common Stock and issued 37.5 million shares of Class A Common Stock, all of which are freely tradable without restrictions or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares sold to any of our “affiliates” as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

In connection with the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, certain holders of our securities entered into lock-up agreements, pursuant to which they agreed to certain restrictions on the transfer of our securities. In addition, in connection with the August 2023 Public Offering, among other things, we and our directors and executive officers holding Company securities agreed not to, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, lend or otherwise dispose of any Company securities for a period of 90 days from the date of the final prospectus relating to the August 2023 Public Offering, subject to certain exceptions.

We have filed registration statements with the SEC to register shares for certain stockholders to sell their shares. We have also filed a registration statement with the SEC to register shares reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans. Subject to there being effective registration statements covering the sales of such shares, the satisfaction of applicable exercise periods and expiration of the lock-up agreements referred to above, the shares issued upon exercise of outstanding stock options and settlement of outstanding restricted stock units will be available for immediate resale in the open market.

In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our Class A Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Class A Common Stock. For example, we may use the ATM offering or conduct other capital raises in the future, any of which may be dilutive to existing stockholders. We cannot assure you that we will be able to sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is equal to or greater than the price per share paid by you for your existing shares, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in future offerings could have rights superior to existing stockholders. A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are eligible to be sold into the market, which could cause the market price of our Class A Common Stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.

Our business model of manufacturing solid-state batteries is capital-intensive, and we may not be able to raise additional capital on attractive terms, if at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

The development, design, manufacture and sale of batteries is a capital-intensive business, which we have financed through joint venture arrangements, other third-party financings and issuance of additional equity. As a result of the capital-intensive nature of our business, we can be expected to continue to sustain substantial operating expenses without generating sufficient revenues to cover expenditures. Over time, we expect that we will need to raise additional funds, including through entry into new or extending existing joint venture arrangements, through the issuance of equity, equity-related or debt securities or through obtaining credit from financial institutions to fund, together with our principal sources of liquidity, ongoing costs such as research and development relating to our batteries, the construction of large factories, any significant unplanned or accelerated expenses, and new strategic investments. We cannot be certain that additional capital will be available on attractive terms, if at all, when needed, which could be dilutive to stockholders, and our financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

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In addition, our management has broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from our August 2023 Public Offering, including for working capital and general corporate purposes, and we may spend or invest these proceeds in a way with which our stockholders disagree. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from our August 2023 Public Offering, our ultimate use of such proceeds may vary substantially from our currently intended use.

The failure by our management to apply the proceeds from our August 2023 Public Offering or, in the future, any other funds raised from different sources of liquidity, effectively could harm our business, and we may invest such proceeds in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value, which may negatively impact the market price of our Class A Common Stock.

Short sellers may engage in manipulative activity that could drive down the market price of our Class A Common Stock.

Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed or intends to borrow from a third party with the intention of later buying lower priced identical securities to return to the lender. Accordingly, it is in the interest of a short seller of our Class A Common Stock for the price to decline. Some short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, opinions about or characterizations of our business which may create negative market momentum, even if they contain false and misleading statements about our Company. Issuers, like us, whose securities have historically had limited trading history or volumes and/or have been susceptible to relatively high volatility levels can be particularly vulnerable to such short seller attacks. No assurances can be made that similar declines in the market price of our Class A Common Stock will not occur in the future, in connection with the activities of short sellers. If we are subject to unfavorable allegations promoted by short sellers, we may have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and defend ourselves.

We are required to use judgments in making estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements, and our results of operations may fluctuate significantly as a result of changes to our estimates and assumptions.

Certain of our accounting policies require the application of subjective or complex judgments, often requiring us to make estimates about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods, or for which the use of different estimates that could have reasonably been used in the current period would have had a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

All stock-based awards are required to be recognized based on their estimated grant date fair values. The amount recognized could vary depending on a number of assumptions or changes that may occur. We have granted stock-based awards to our Chief Executive Officer and other members of our management team pursuant to the EPA Program. EPA Program awards have a vesting schedule based on the attainment of both performance (e.g., business milestones) and market conditions (e.g., stock price target).

For awards containing service, performance and market conditions, where all conditions must be satisfied prior to vesting, such as the EPA Program awards, compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period, which is based on management’s estimate of the probability and timing of the performance condition being satisfied, assessed at each reporting period. These estimates require management's judgments and changes in the probability-based assumptions can materially affect the timing of recognition of stock-based compensation expense and consequently, the related amount recognized in our statements of operations and comprehensive income.

The dual class structure of our Common Stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with the current holders of Class B Common Stock. This will limit or preclude the ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters, including the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control.

Shares of Class B Common Stock have 10 votes per share, while shares of Class A Common Stock have one vote per share. As of September 30, 2023, the holders of the Class B Common Stock (excluding the voting power of any shares of Class A Common Stock beneficially owned by such holders) control approximately 57.4% of the voting power of our capital stock and therefore collectively control matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets or other major corporate transactions. Even though these holders are not party to any agreement that requires them to vote together, they may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree, and which may be adverse to your interests. This concentrated control may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control of us, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their capital stock as part of a sale of us, and might ultimately affect the market price of shares of our Class A Common Stock.

Our dual class structure may depress the trading price of the Class A Common Stock.

We cannot predict whether our dual class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of the Class A Common Stock or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, pursuant to which companies with multiple classes of shares of common stock are excluded. In addition, several stockholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple class structures. As a result, the dual class structure of our Common Stock may cause stockholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure.

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Any such exclusion from indices or any actions or publications by stockholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could adversely affect the value and trading market of the Class A Common Stock.

Anti-takeover provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws and Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management and limit the market price of our Class A Common Stock.

Our Certificate of Incorporation, our amended and restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) and Delaware law contain provisions which could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by our Board. These provisions include:

•authorizing “blank check” preferred stock, which could be issued by our Board without stockholder approval and may contain voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the Common Stock;

•limiting the liability of, and providing indemnification to, our directors and officers;

•prohibiting cumulative voting in the election of directors;

•providing that vacancies on our Board may be filled only by majority of directors then in office of our Board, even though less than a quorum;

•prohibiting the ability of our stockholders to call special meetings;

•establishing advance notice procedures for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our Board;

•requiring that, once there are no longer any outstanding shares of the Class B Common Stock, any action to be taken by our stockholders be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting and not by written consent;

•specifying that special meetings of our stockholders can be called only by a majority of our Board, the chair of our Board, or our Chief Executive Officer;

•requiring the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting securities to amend the Bylaws and certain provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation once there are no longer any outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock; and

•reflecting two classes of Common Stock.

These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our Board, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder.

Our Bylaws provide, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a chosen judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.

Our Bylaws provide that, unless otherwise consented to by us in writing, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, another State court in Delaware or the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by, or otherwise wrongdoing by, any of our directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws; (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws; or (v) any other action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in all cases subject to the court having jurisdiction over indispensable parties named as defendants. The Bylaws further provide that, unless otherwise consented to by the Company in writing, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against any person in connection with any offering of the Company’s securities, including any auditor, underwriter, expert, control person or other defendant. These provisions would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act.

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Any person or entity purchasing, holding or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with the Company or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in the Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

We do not expect to declare any dividends in the foreseeable future.

We do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends to holders of our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.

General Risk Factors

If we are unable to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel, our ability to compete could be harmed.

Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain our executive officers, key employees and other qualified personnel, and our operations may be severely disrupted if we lose their services. As we build our brand and become more well known, there is increased risk that competitors or other companies will seek to hire our personnel. None of our employees are bound by a non-competition agreement. The failure to attract, integrate, train, motivate and retain these personnel could seriously harm our business and prospects.

In addition, we are highly dependent on the services of Jagdeep Singh, our Chief Executive Officer, and other senior technical and management personnel, including our executive officers, who would be difficult to replace. If Mr. Singh or other key personnel were to depart, this could negatively impact our prospects, triggering further departures and limiting the Company’s ability to operate and grow our business.

Our facilities or operations could be damaged or adversely affected as a result of natural disasters and other catastrophic events.

Our facilities or operations could be adversely affected by events outside of our control, such as natural disasters, wars, epidemics, pandemics, and other calamities. We cannot assure you that any backup systems will be adequate to protect us from the effects of fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events. Any of the foregoing events may give rise to interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide services.

Any economic, financial or banking crisis, or perceived threat of such a crisis, including a significant decrease in consumer confidence, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

In recent years, the United States and global economies suffered dramatic downturns as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a deterioration in the credit markets and related financial crisis as well as a variety of other factors including, among other things, extreme volatility in security prices, severely diminished liquidity and credit availability, ratings downgrades of certain investments and declining valuations of others, and volatility in the capital and credit markets and uncertainty with respect to the health of the U.S. banking system. The United States and certain foreign governments have taken unprecedented actions in an attempt to address and rectify these extreme market and economic conditions by providing liquidity and stability to the financial markets. If in the current or in future crises governments refuse to take such actions or if the actions taken by these governments are not successful, and/or if the uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment, including elevated inflation concerns, rising interest rates, tighter credit, currency fluctuations, or concerns or speculation about similar banking disruption events or risks, continues, the resulting adverse economic conditions could lead to market-wide liquidity problems and other disruptions, which may negatively impact the demand for our solid-state battery cells and may negatively impact our liquidity and ability to raise capital, if needed, on a timely basis and on acceptable terms or at all.

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Our results of operations and financial condition could be materially affected by the enactment of legislation implementing changes in the U.S. or foreign taxation of business activities or the adoption of other tax reform policies.

As we expand the scale of our business activities, any changes in the U.S. or foreign taxation of such activities may increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. For example, the current administration has proposed to increase the U.S. corporate income tax rate, increase U.S. taxation of international business operations, and impose a global minimum tax which has agreement from many countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 signed into law on August 16, 2022 (the “IRA”) includes numerous incentives and tax credits aimed at reducing the effects of climate change, such as the extension of electric vehicle charging infrastructure tax credits under Section 30C and tax credits for electric vehicles under Section 30D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), the expansion of advanced manufacturing tax credits under Section 48C and enactment of advanced manufacturing production credits for eligible component production in the United States under Section 48X of the Code. Such tax credits may potentially benefit incumbents more than new entrants, and consequently have adverse competitive effects for new entrants. However, the full impact of the IRA cannot be known, and many of the IRA’s provisions are not self-executing and require further guidance from the IRS and Treasury Department, which we expect to be issued in the coming months and years. These incentives may also expire on a particular date, end when the allocated funding is exhausted, or be reduced or terminated as a matter of regulatory or legislative policy. Any other reduction in rebates, tax credits or other financial incentives could materially reduce the demand for EVs, which could adversely impact the battery demand for EVs, or materially reduce the amount of incentives available for the manufacture of our products and have an adverse impact on our business. The impact of future changes to U.S. and foreign tax law on our business is uncertain and could be adverse, and we will continue to monitor and assess the impact of any such changes.

Our ability to use our deferred tax assets to offset future taxable income is subject to certain limitations, which may have a material impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

In general, under Section 382 of the Code, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”), to offset future taxable income. The limitations apply if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in its equity ownership by certain stockholders over a three-year period. If we have experienced an ownership change at any time since our incorporation, we may already be subject to limitations on our ability to utilize our existing NOLs and other tax attributes to offset taxable income or tax liability. In addition, future changes in our stock ownership, which may be outside of our control, may trigger an ownership change. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax attributes. As a result, even if we earn net taxable income in the future, our ability to use it or our pre-change NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset such taxable income or tax liability may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future income tax liability to us.

There is also a risk that changes in law or regulatory changes, including suspensions on the use of net operating losses or tax credits, possibly with retroactive effect, may result in our existing net operating losses or tax credits expiring or otherwise being unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities.

Due to such limitations and changes in law, certain of our deferred tax assets may expire unutilized or underutilized, which could prevent us from offsetting future taxable income. We continue to assess the realizability of our deferred tax assets in the future. Future adjustments in our valuation allowance may be required, which may have a material impact on our quarterly and annual operating results.

Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to protect us from all business risks.

We may be subject, in the ordinary course of business, to losses resulting from products liability, cyber-attacks, accidents, acts of God, and other claims against us, for which we may have no insurance coverage. As a general matter, the policies that we do have may include significant deductibles or self-insured retentions, and we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover all future losses or claims against us. A loss that is uninsured or which exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses and administrative burdens as a public company, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Class A Common Stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “QS”. As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting, administrative and other costs and expenses associated with corporate governance requirements and listing standards that are applicable to public companies. If we were to fail to meet such requirements and standards and if the NYSE were to consequently delist our Class A Common Stock from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we and our stockholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:

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•a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

•reduced liquidity for our securities;

•a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

•a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including the requirements of Section 404, as well as rules and regulations subsequently implemented by the SEC, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and any rules and regulations promulgated and to be promulgated thereunder, the PCAOB and the securities exchanges, impose additional reporting and other obligations on public companies. Meeting the standards and controls required of a public company in the United States requires significant ongoing costs. It is possible that we will be required to further expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations, particularly as such standards and controls continue to change over time, which will increase our operating costs in future periods.

Compliance with evolving public company requirements may continue to increase costs and make certain activities more time-consuming. For example, we have created new Board committees and adopted new internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. In addition, expenses associated with SEC reporting requirements already have been and will continue to be incurred. Furthermore, if any issues in complying with those requirements are identified, such as a material weakness in our internal controls that requires a restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements, we could incur additional costs rectifying those or new issues, and the existence of these issues could adversely affect our reputation or investor perceptions of it. It has also become more expensive to obtain director and officer liability insurance. Risks associated with our status as a public company may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board or as executive officers. The reporting and other obligations imposed by these rules and regulations have resulted in and may continue to result in significant accounting, administrative, financial compliance and legal costs. These costs have required and may continue to require us to divert a significant amount of money that could otherwise be used to expand the business and achieve strategic objectives. Advocacy efforts by stockholders and third parties may also prompt additional changes in governance and reporting requirements, which could further increase costs.

If we experience material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, our business could be adversely affected, and we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A Common Stock.

As a public company, we are required, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish annual reports by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment needs to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual and interim financial statements will not be detected or prevented on a timely basis. If we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. The effectiveness of our controls and procedures may be limited by a variety of factors, including:

•faulty human judgment and simple errors, omissions or mistakes;

•fraudulent action of an individual or collusion of two or more people;

•inappropriate management override of procedures; and

•the possibility that any enhancements to controls and procedures may still not be adequate to assure timely and accurate financial control.

Pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, we are required to furnish in this Report a report by our management regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The report includes, among other things, an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of our fiscal year, including a statement as to whether or not our internal control over financial reporting is effective. This assessment must include disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by management. As of September 30, 2021, we remediated the material weakness that was identified in connection with the restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements as of and for the period ended December 31, 2020. While we believe our internal control over financial reporting is currently effective, the effectiveness of our internal controls in future periods is subject to the risk that our controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions. Establishing, testing and maintaining an effective system of internal control over financial reporting requires significant resources and time commitments on the part of our management and our finance staff, may require additional staffing and infrastructure investments and would increase our costs of doing business.

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In addition, under the federal securities laws, our auditors are required to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls. If we are unable to confirm that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could cause the price of our Class A Common Stock to decline.

Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. We designed our disclosure controls and procedures to provide reasonable assurance that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated, communicated to management, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.

These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business, or the market in which we operate, or if they change their recommendations regarding our securities adversely, the price and trading volume of our securities could decline.

The trading market for our securities will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, market or competitors. If any of the analysts who cover us change their recommendation regarding our shares of Class A Common Stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our shares of Class A Common Stock would likely decline. If any analyst who covers us were to cease our coverage of us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our share price or trading volume to decline.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

None.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information.

Securities Trading Plans of Directors and Executive Officers

No officers or directors, as defined in Rule 16a-1(f), adopted and/or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as defined in Regulation S-K Item 408, during the last fiscal quarter.

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Item 6. Exhibits.

		Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit Number	Description	Form	File No.	Exhibit	Filing Date
2.1	Business Combination Agreement, dated as of September 2, 2020, by and among Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp., Kensington Capital Merger Sub Corp. and Legacy QuantumScape.	S-4/A	333-248930	2.1	November 12, 2020
2.2	Amendment No. 1 to Business Combination Agreement, dated as of September 21, 2020, by and among Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp., Kensington Capital Merger Sub Corp. and Legacy QuantumScape.	S-4/A	333-248930	2.2	November 12, 2020
3.1	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company.	8-K	001-39345	3.1	December 2, 2020
3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company.	8-K	001-39345	3.1	October 25, 2022
10.1#	Underwriting Agreement, dated August 3, 2023, by and among QuantumScape Corporation. and Evercore Group L.L.C. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representatives of the underwriters.	8-K	001-39345	1.1	August 8, 2023
10.2*+	Offer Letter from QuantumScape Battery, Inc. to Srinivasan Sivaram
31.1*	Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*	Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1†	Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2†	Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS	Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
101.SCH	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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*	Filed herewith.
†	These exhibits are furnished with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not incorporated by reference in any filing of QuantumScape Corporation under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filings.
#	Exhibits and schedules have been omitted from this filing pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K and will be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request
+	Indicates a management or compensatory plan

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

	QuantumScape Corporation
Date: October 27, 2023	By:	/s/ Jagdeep Singh
		Jagdeep Singh
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
Date: October 27, 2023	By:	/s/ Kevin Hettrich
		Kevin Hettrich
		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

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EX-10.2

Exhibit 10.2

  July 25, 2023

Srinivasan (Siva) Sivaram

Re: Employment Offer

Dear Siva,

I am pleased to offer you a full-time exempt position with QuantumScape Battery, Inc. (the “Company”), as President. This offer of at-will employment is subject to the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors or applicable committee thereof (the “Board”) and on your satisfactory completion of certain requirements, as explained in this letter. For purposes of this letter, the Company’s publicly-traded parent is referred to as “QuantumScape.”

Role. In your capacity as President, you will report to the Company’s CEO, currently Jagdeep Singh, and will perform duties and responsibilities that are reasonable and consistent with this position as may be assigned to you from time to time. You agree to devote your full business time, attention, and best efforts to the performance of your duties and to the furtherance of the Company's interests during your employment. Additionally, upon approval by the Board, you are expected to be designated as an “officer” and “executive officer” of the Company and QuantumScape for the purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act and other relevant securities laws, and be subject to all applicable public disclosure and other requirements.

Alongside your responsibilities as President, we will recommend you for a role on the Board as a non-independent, inside director. Please note that the final decision regarding this appointment rests solely within the discretion of the Board.

As President, it is expected that the Board will consider you as a potential candidate for the CEO role in the future. It should be noted that the final decision regarding this appointment, including the timing of such appointment and accompanying compensation package, lies solely within the Board's exclusive and unfettered discretion. The compensation for such CEO position is expected to be commensurate with the role, as determined solely by the compensation committee of the Board using its normal process, including consideration of prevailing compensation rates for CEOs within the Company’s peer group of other publicly traded companies and other factors.

Location. You will be based at one of our San Jose, California office sites, located at 1730 Technology Drive, San Jose, CA 95110 or 1710 Automation Parkway, San Jose 95131. Due to the nature of your position and the work, which relies on close collaboration with colleagues, hands-on engagement with certain tools or systems, and direct interactions with external stakeholders, this role is not a remote or work-from-home position and you will be expected to be physically available at the aforementioned locations during normal business hours.

Base Salary. If you decide to join us as a regular employee and as consideration of your services as President, you will receive an annual salary of $500,000 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS), which will be subject to applicable withholding taxes as required by law and paid in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices and procedures, effective on your first day of employment.

1730 Technology Drive, San Jose, California 95110

Annual Bonus. Subject to the approval of Board and the terms of the Company’s 2023 annual bonus program, you will be eligible to participate in the 2023 annual bonus program targeted for up to 80.0% of your 2023 eligible earnings, the payout for which will be in the form of equity rather than cash and is subject to the achievement of operational milestones and approval by the Board. Any ongoing participation in the Company’s annual bonus program and its respective terms beyond 2023 are subject to the determination of the Board.

Equity. If you decide to accept this offer to join the Company, and subject to the approval the Board, you will be granted awards of Restricted Stock Units of QuantumScape (“RSUs”) as follows:

1.New Hire Equity Grant: a new hire equity award of RSUs with a value of $4,500,000; and

2.Sign-on Bonus Equity Grant: a one-time sign-on bonus equity award of RSUs with a value of $2,000,000.

The number of RSUs will be determined by dividing granted amounts by the volume weighted average price of a share of the Company’s common stock (over a trailing twenty trading day period) on the date approved by the Board. The vesting schedule for all grants rests solely within the discretion of the Board; however it is anticipated that the New Hire Equity Grant will be a mix of performance-based and time-based milestones, with performance-based vesting being tied to achievement of specific milestones, and time-based RSUs typically vest as follows: twenty-five percent (25%) of such RSUs will be scheduled to vest on August 15, 2024, and six and one-quarter percent (6.25%) of such RSUs scheduled to vest each quarter on each Quarterly Vesting Date thereafter, subject to you providing continuous service through each such date. The Company will recommend to the Board that the Sign-on Bonus Equity Grant vests over eight (8) quarters, with 12.5% of such RSUs scheduled to vest each quarter on each Quarterly Vesting Date starting on November 15, 2023, subject to you providing continuous service through each such date.

As used above, a “Quarterly Vesting Date” is the first trading day on or after each of February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15. The specific terms of your RSUs will be set forth in an RSU award agreement under QuantumScape’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

Change in Control and Severance. As an executive officer of the Company, you will be a participant in the Company’s Change in Control and Severance Agreement on the same terms as the Company’s CEO.

Other Benefits. As a full-time regular employee, you will also be eligible to participate in the Company’s standard employee benefit plans and programs the Company makes available to other similarly situated employees of the Company, in accordance and subject to the eligibility and other provisions of such plans and programs. Please note that the Company may modify job titles, salaries and benefits from time to time as it deems necessary.

Indemnification Agreement. In your capacity as President of the Company, you will be eligible to enter into an indemnification agreement on the same terms as the other officers of the Company.

At-Will Employment. The Company is excited about you joining and looks forward to a beneficial and productive relationship. Nevertheless, you should be aware that your employment with the Company is for no specified period and constitutes at-will employment. As a result, you are free to resign at any time, for any reason or for no reason. Similarly, the Company is free to conclude its employment relationship with you at any time, with or without cause, and with or without prior notice. We request that, in the event of resignation, you give the Company at least six weeks’ notice; provided, however that providing notice does not create an express or implied contract for continued employment or employment for a fixed period. The Company also reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, modify or rescind any of the terms set forth in this letter at any time during the course of your employment, to the extent permitted by law.

-2-

1730 Technology Drive, San Jose, California 95110

Background and Reference Checks. The Company reserves the right to conduct background investigations and/or reference checks on all of its potential employees. Your job offer therefore, is contingent upon a clearance of such a background investigation and/or reference check, if any, and QuantumScape receiving verification that you hold the qualification(s) you represented during our interviews and as listed in your resume.

Work Eligibility. For purposes of federal immigration law, you will be required to provide to the Company documentary evidence of your identity and eligibility for employment in the United States. Such documentation must be provided to us within three (3) business days of your date of hire, or our employment relationship with you may be terminated.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest. We also ask that, if you have not already done so, you disclose to the Company any and all agreements relating to your prior employment that may affect your eligibility to be employed by the Company or limit the manner in which you may be employed. It is the Company’s understanding that any such agreements will not prevent you from performing the duties of your position and you represent that such is the case. Moreover, you agree that, during the term of your employment with the Company, you will not engage in any other employment, occupation, consulting or other business activity whether or not for compensation that materially detracts you from devoting your full attention to you duties to the Company without the prior written consent of the Company, and that you will not directly or indirectly engage in or participate in any business that is directly related to or competitive in any manner with the business in which the Company is now involved or becomes involved during the term of your employment, nor will you engage in any other activities that conflict with your obligations to the Company. Similarly, you agree not to bring any third party confidential information to the Company, including that of your former employer, and that in performing your duties for the Company you will not in any way utilize any such information.

Company Policies. As a Company employee, you agree to comply with any and all policies, rules, and standards of the Company. Specifically, you will be required to sign an acknowledgment that you have read and that you understand the Company’s rules of conduct which are included in the Employee Handbook. You also agree to keep your employee record on file updated with your current home address and notify Human Resources when moving greater than 50 miles from your assigned work location.

As a condition of your employment, you are also required to sign and comply with an At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment and Arbitration Agreement which requires, among other provisions, the assignment of patent rights to any invention made during your employment at the Company, and non-disclosure of Company proprietary information. In the event of any dispute or claim relating to or arising out of our employment relationship, you and the Company agree that (i) any and all disputes between you and the Company shall be fully and finally resolved by binding arbitration, (ii) you are waiving any and all rights to a jury trial but all court remedies will be available in arbitration, (iii) all disputes shall be resolved by a neutral arbitrator who shall issue a written opinion, (iv) the arbitration shall provide for adequate discovery, and (v) the Company shall pay all the arbitration fees, except an amount equal to the filing fees you would have paid had you filed a complaint in a court of law. Please note that we must receive your signed Agreement before your first day of employment. You are also subject to all applicable employment, export control rules, and other policies of the Company, as outlined in the Company’s Code of Business Conduct, Employee Handbook, Conflict of Interest Guidelines, and elsewhere.

-3-

1730 Technology Drive, San Jose, California 95110

Additional Terms. To accept the Company’s offer, please sign and date this letter in the space provided below and return a copy to me. If you accept our offer, your anticipated start date is September 11, 2023. This letter, along with any agreements relating to proprietary rights between you and the Company, set forth the terms of your employment with the Company and supersede any prior representations or agreements including, but not limited to, any representations made during your recruitment, interviews or pre-employment negotiations, whether written or oral. This letter, including, but not limited to, its at-will employment provision, may not be modified or amended except by a written agreement signed by the Chief Legal Officer or Chief of HR Operations of the Company and you. If any provision of this offer is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder shall be unaffected and shall be enforceable. This offer may be executed by one or both parties electronically, and in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall be deemed one and the same original agreement. This offer of employment will terminate if it is not accepted, signed and returned by July 26, 2023.

We look forward to your favorable reply and to working with you.

-4-

1730 Technology Drive, San Jose, California 95110

Sincerely,

/s/ Pamela Fong

Pamela Fong

Chief of Human Resources Operations QuantumScape Battery, Inc.

Acceptance of Offer

I have read and understand all the terms of the offer of employment set forth in this letter and I accept each of those terms. I also understand and agree that my employment is at-will and, with the exception of a subsequent written agreement signed by an authorized Company representative, no statements or communications, whether oral or written, will modify my at-will employment status. I further understand that this letter is the Company's complete offer of employment to me and this letter supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to my employment. I have not relied on any agreements or representations, express or implied, that are not set forth expressly in this letter.

I accept the offer of employment outlined above. Agreed to and accepted:

Signature: /s/ Siva Sivaram

Printed Name: Siva Sivaram

Date: July 27, 2023

++

Enclosures: Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment and Arbitration Agreement

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Jagdeep Singh, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of QuantumScape Corporation;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: October 27, 2023	By:	/s/ Jagdeep Singh
		Jagdeep Singh
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Kevin Hettrich, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of QuantumScape Corporation;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: October 27, 2023	By:	/s/ Kevin Hettrich
		Kevin Hettrich
		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of QuantumScape Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Jagdeep Singh, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and result of operations of the Company.

Date: October 27, 2023	By:	/s/ Jagdeep Singh
		Jagdeep Singh
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of QuantumScape Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Kevin Hettrich, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and result of operations of the Company.

Date: October 27, 2023	By:	/s/ Kevin Hettrich
		Kevin Hettrich
		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

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Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Oct. 20, 2023
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2023
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2023
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Entity Registrant Name	QUANTUMSCAPE CORPORATION
Entity Central Index Key	0001811414
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	001-39345
Entity Tax Identification Number	85-0796578
Entity Address, Address Line One	1730 Technology Drive
Entity Address, City or Town	San Jose
Entity Address, State or Province	CA
Entity Address Postal Zip Code	95110
City Area Code	408
Local Phone Number	452-2000
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
Trading Symbol	QS
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Class A Common Stock
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		429,687,172
Class B Common Stock
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		59,874,114

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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents ($3,480 and $3,395 as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, for joint venture)	$ 250,824	$ 235,393
Marketable securities	876,612	826,340
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	10,129	10,591
Total current assets	1,137,565	1,072,324
Property and equipment, net	321,903	295,934
Right-of-use assets - finance lease	25,858	28,013
Right-of-use assets - operating lease	57,112	60,782
Other assets	23,327	18,353
Total assets	1,565,765	1,475,406
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	9,618	21,420
Accrued liabilities	10,025	7,477
Accrued compensation and benefits	18,938	13,061
Operating lease liability, short-term	4,886	3,478
Finance lease liability, short-term	2,829	1,373
Total current liabilities	46,296	46,809
Operating lease liability, long-term	58,881	62,560
Finance lease liability, long-term	35,859	38,005
Other liabilities	11,711	8,488
Total liabilities	152,747	155,862
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 7)
Redeemable non-controlling interest	1,749	1,704
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock- $0.0001 par value; 100,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022
Common stock - $0.0001 par value; 1,250,000 shares authorized (1,000,000 Class A and 250,000 Class B); 429,571 Class A and 59,874 Class B shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023, 358,505 Class A and 79,454 Class B shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022	49	44
Additional paid-in-capital	4,184,840	3,771,181
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(6,323)	(17,873)
Accumulated deficit	(2,767,297)	(2,435,512)
Total stockholders’ equity	1,411,269	1,317,840
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and stockholders’ equity	$ 1,565,765	$ 1,475,406

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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 250,824	$ 235,393
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, outstanding	0	0
Common stock, authorized	1,250,000,000	1,250,000,000
Joint Venture
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,480	$ 3,395
Class A Common Stock
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Common stock, authorized	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Common stock, issued	429,571,000	358,505,000
Common stock, outstanding	429,571,000	358,505,000
Class B Common Stock
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Common stock, authorized	250,000,000	250,000,000
Common stock, issued	59,874,000	79,454,000
Common stock, outstanding	59,874,000	79,454,000

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Operating expenses:
Research and development	$ 88,154	$ 87,582	$ 251,548	$ 214,060
General and administrative	32,716	33,072	102,842	93,124
Total operating expenses	120,870	120,654	354,390	307,184
Loss from operations	(120,870)	(120,654)	(354,390)	(307,184)
Other income (loss):
Interest expense	(593)	(600)	(1,795)	(1,807)
Interest income	10,479	3,487	24,075	5,813
Other income (expense)	382	114	370	335
Total other income	10,268	3,001	22,650	4,341
Net loss	(110,602)	(117,653)	(331,740)	(302,843)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, net of tax of $0	15	7	45	(2)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	(110,617)	(117,660)	(331,785)	(302,841)
Net loss	(110,602)	(117,653)	(331,740)	(302,843)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities	3,392	(2,933)	11,550	(17,870)
Total comprehensive loss	(107,210)	(120,586)	(320,190)	(320,713)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	15	7	45	(2)
Comprehensive loss attributable to common stockholders	$ (107,225)	$ (120,593)	$ (320,235)	$ (320,711)
Net loss per share - Basic	$ (0.23)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.73)	$ (0.7)
Net loss per share - Diluted	$ (0.23)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.73)	$ (0.7)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Basic	471,752	434,051	452,503	431,654
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Diluted	471,752	434,051	452,503	431,654

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, tax	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders' Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Class A Common Stock	Common Stock	Common Stock Class A Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Additional Paid-In Capital Class A Common Stock	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2021	$ 1,606,895		$ 43		$ 3,634,665		$ (2,023,605)	$ (4,208)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2021	1,693
Beginning balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2021			428,319
Exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan	6,934				6,934
Exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan, Shares			3,480
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units ,shares			3,795
Stock-based compensation	92,985				92,985
Net income (loss)	(302,841)						(302,841)
Net income (loss), Redeemable Non-Controlling interest	(2)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities	(17,870)							(17,870)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2022	1,386,103		$ 43		3,734,584		(2,326,446)	(22,078)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2022	1,691
Ending balance, Shares at Sep. 30, 2022			435,594
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2022	1,471,151		$ 43		3,699,039		(2,208,786)	(19,145)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2022	1,684
Beginning balance, Shares at Jun. 30, 2022			432,669
Exercise of stock options	1,967				1,967
Exercise of stock options, Shares			1,437
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units ,shares			1,488
Stock-based compensation	33,578				33,578
Net income (loss)	(117,660)						(117,660)
Net income (loss), Redeemable Non-Controlling interest	7
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities	(2,933)							(2,933)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2022	1,386,103		$ 43		3,734,584		(2,326,446)	(22,078)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2022	1,691
Ending balance, Shares at Sep. 30, 2022			435,594
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2022	1,317,840		$ 44		3,771,181		(2,435,512)	(17,873)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2022	1,704
Beginning balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2022			437,959
Exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan	$ 9,930		$ 1		9,929
Exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan, Shares			6,720
Exercise of stock options, Shares	6,396
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units ,shares			7,266
Issuance of common Stock		$ 288,154		$ 4		$ 288,150
Issuance of common Stock, Shares				37,500
Stock-based compensation	$ 115,580				115,580
Net income (loss)	(331,785)						(331,785)
Net income (loss), Redeemable Non-Controlling interest	45
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities	11,550							11,550
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2023	1,411,269		$ 49		4,184,840		(2,767,297)	(6,323)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2023	1,749
Ending balance, Shares at Sep. 30, 2023			489,445
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2023	1,189,252		$ 45		3,855,602		(2,656,680)	(9,715)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2023	1,734
Beginning balance, Shares at Jun. 30, 2023			447,386
Exercise of stock options	2,297				2,297
Exercise of stock options, Shares			1,300
Shares issued upon vesting of restricted stock units ,shares			3,259
Issuance of common Stock		$ 288,154		$ 4		$ 288,150
Issuance of common Stock, Shares				37,500
Stock-based compensation	38,791				38,791
Net income (loss)	(110,617)						(110,617)
Net income (loss), Redeemable Non-Controlling interest	15
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities	3,392							3,392
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2023	1,411,269		$ 49		$ 4,184,840		$ (2,767,297)	$ (6,323)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2023	$ 1,749
Ending balance, Shares at Sep. 30, 2023			489,445

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders' Equity (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2023
Class A Common Stock
Stock issuance costs	$ 11.8	$ 11.8

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Operating activities
Net loss	$ (331,740)	$ (302,843)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	31,177	18,975
Amortization of right-of-use assets and non-cash lease expense	5,825	5,671
Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on marketable securities	(10,855)	4,504
Stock-based compensation expense	128,373	92,985
Impairment of fixed assets	6,342	7,806
Other	474	474
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(3,985)	5,393
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued compensation	(5,544)	9,516
Other long-term liabilities	(348)	2,100
Operating lease liability	(2,270)	311
Net cash used in operating activities	(182,551)	(155,108)
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment	(70,708)	(121,004)
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities	702,128	634,390
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities	1,477	15,105
Purchases of marketable securities	(731,461)	(402,247)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(98,564)	126,244
Financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan	9,930	6,934
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs paid	288,431
Principal payment for finance lease	(1,290)	(809)
Net cash provided by financing activities	297,071	6,125
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	15,956	(22,739)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	252,916	338,223
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	268,872	315,484
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest	1,195	1,207
Purchases of property and equipment, not yet paid	7,289	$ 13,828
Common stock issuance costs, accrued but not paid	$ 277

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Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash by Category - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 250,824	$ 297,960
Other assets	18,048	17,524
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 268,872	$ 315,484

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Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Pay vs Performance Disclosure
Net Income (Loss)	$ (110,617)	$ (117,660)	$ (331,785)	$ (302,841)

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Insider Trading Arrangements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023
Trading Arrangements, by Individual
Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Adopted	false
Non-Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Adopted	false
Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated	false
Non-Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated	false

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Organization

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization

Note 1. Organization

The original QuantumScape Corporation, now named QuantumScape Battery, Inc. (“Legacy QuantumScape”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (as defined below), was founded in 2010 with the mission to revolutionize energy storage to enable a sustainable future.

On November 25, 2020 (the “Closing Date”), Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. (“Kensington”), a special purpose acquisition company, consummated the Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) dated September 2, 2020, by and among Kensington, Kensington Merger Sub Corp., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Kensington (“Merger Sub”), and Legacy QuantumScape.

Pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, a business combination between Kensington and Legacy QuantumScape was effected through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Legacy QuantumScape, with Legacy QuantumScape surviving as the surviving company and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kensington (the “Merger” and, collectively with the other transactions described in the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination”). On the Closing Date, Kensington changed its name to QuantumScape Corporation (the “Company”).

The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of its solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Planned principal operations have not yet commenced. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not derived revenue from its principal business activities.

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) as determined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and pursuant to the regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

The Company’s policy is to consolidate all entities that it controls by ownership of a majority of the outstanding voting stock. In addition, the Company consolidates entities that meet the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which the Company is the related party most closely associated with and is the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the party who has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and who has an obligation to absorb losses of the entity or a right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. For consolidated entities that are less than wholly owned, the third party’s holding of an equity interest is presented as redeemable non-controlling interests in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity. The portion of net earnings (loss) attributable to the redeemable non-controlling interests is presented as net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Legacy QuantumScape was a single-legal entity prior to becoming a partner with Volkswagen in QSV Operations LLC (“QSV”). As noted in the section titled “Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest” below, Legacy QuantumScape determined QSV was a VIE for which it was required to consolidate the operations upon its formation in 2018. Following the closing of the Business Combination, the Company made the same determination and the Company continued to consolidate the operations of QSV in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 as the determination of the VIE has not changed.

All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements as well as reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates made by the Company include, but are not limited to, those related to the valuation of common stock prior to the Business Combination and valuation of awards under the Extraordinary Performance Award Program (the “EPA Program”), among others. The Company bases these estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

The accompanying interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023, the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, are unaudited. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual consolidated financial statements and, in management’s opinion, include adjustments consisting of only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2023 and its results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The financial data and the other financial information disclosed in the notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements related to the three-month and nine-month periods are also unaudited. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year or any other period.

These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in the Company’s audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed on February 28, 2023 (the “Annual Report”).

Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

QSV was incorporated as a limited liability company in 2018. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“VWGoA”), Volkswagen Group of America Investments, LLC (“VGA”) and Legacy QuantumScape executed a Joint Venture Agreement (“JVA”), effective September 2018, with the goal of jointly establishing a manufacturing facility to produce the pilot line of the Company’s product through QSV. In connection with this agreement, the parties also have entered into two operating agreements: (i) the Limited Liability Company Agreement of QSV to govern the respective rights and obligations as members of QSV and (ii) the Common IP License Agreement for the Company to license certain intellectual property pertaining to automotive battery cells as defined in the JVA to VWGoA, VGA and QSV.

Volkswagen is a related party stockholder (approximately 24.1% and 21.5% voting interest holder of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively). Upon the effectiveness of the JVA, each party contributed $1.7 million in cash to capitalize QSV in exchange for 50% equity interests.

The joint venture is considered a VIE with a related party and therefore the related party whose business is more closely related to the planned operations of the joint venture is required to consolidate the operations.

The Company determined its operations were most closely aligned with the operations of the joint venture and therefore has consolidated the results of QSV’s operations in its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity. QSV had minimal operations through September 30, 2023.

The Company classifies non-controlling interests with redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Company within temporary equity on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A, SEC Staff Announcement: Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities (“ASC 480-10-S99-3A”). The non-controlling interest was recorded outside of stockholders’ equity because the non-controlling interest provides the holder with put rights in the event of, amongst others, (i) the failure by the Company to meet specified development milestones within certain timeframes, (ii) the parties to the JVA cannot agree to certain commercial terms within certain timeframes, or (iii) a change of control of the Company, which such events are considered not solely within the Company’s control. The Company adjusts redeemable non-controlling interests for the portion of net loss attributable to the redeemable non-controlling interests. As of September 30, 2023, the redeemable non-controlling interest is equivalent to the value of Volkswagen's interest in the joint venture. The commercialization timeline originally contemplated in 2018 by the joint venture agreements, and by subsequent amendments, has changed, and at the time of filing of our Annual Report, certain milestones contemplated by the joint venture agreements had not been met. As a result, Volkswagen’s right to exercise its put rights has been triggered. If Volkswagen exercises such rights, the joint venture with Volkswagen and Volkswagen’s commitments to purchase output capacity from the joint venture would terminate, and we would be obligated to purchase Volkswagen’s interest in the joint venture for its book value. As of September 30, 2023, the book value of this interest was approximately $1.7 million and is recorded as a redeemable non-controlling interest in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. To date, Volkswagen has not informed us of any intention to exercise their put rights.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, approximately $117.9 million and $107.4 million of our total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, are held in U.S. money market funds, and $787.9 million and $610.5 million are invested in U.S. government and agency securities, respectively. The Company seeks to mitigate its credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities by making deposits with what we believe to be large, reputable financial institutions and investing in high credit rated shorter-term instruments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Management considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Restricted cash is maintained under an agreement that legally restricts the use of such funds and is reported within other assets as the date of availability or disbursement for all restricted cash is more than one year from September 30, 2023.

Restricted cash is comprised of $18.0 million as of September 30, 2023 and $17.5 million as of December 31, 2022, respectively, all of which is pledged as a form of security for the Company’s lease agreements for its headquarters and pre-pilot manufacturing facilities.

Marketable Securities

The Company’s investment policy is consistent with the definition of available-for-sale securities. The Company does not buy and hold securities principally for the purpose of selling them in the near future. The Company’s policy is focused on the preservation of capital, liquidity, and return. From time to time, the Company may sell certain securities, but the objectives are generally not to generate profits on short-term differences in price.

These securities are carried at estimated fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive gain/loss in stockholders’ equity until realized. Gains and losses on marketable security transactions are reported on the specific-identification method. Dividend and interest income are recognized when earned.

Fair Value Measurement

The Company applies fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. The accounting guidance established a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, used to determine the fair value of its financial instruments. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

•Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access.

•Level 2 – Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets and liabilities.

•Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at historical cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the related asset. Improvements that increase functionality of the fixed asset are capitalized and depreciated over the asset’s remaining useful life. Deposits for purchases of property and equipment are included in construction-in-progress. Construction-in-progress is not depreciated until the asset is placed in service. Fully depreciated assets are retained in property and equipment, net, until removed from service.

The estimated useful lives of assets are generally as follows:

Computer equipment, hardware, and software	3 - 5 years
Furniture and fixtures	7 - 10 years
Machinery and equipment	3 - 10 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of the lease term (including estimated renewals) or the estimated useful lives of the improvements

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets when indicators of impairment exist. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the estimated separately identifiable, undiscounted cash flows from such an asset are less than the carrying value of the asset. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred impairment charges of $6.3 million related to the decommissioning of certain assets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred cancellation charges of $11.3 million related to the purchase of equipment. These charges are recorded in Research and Development expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Leases

The Company classifies arrangements meeting the definition of a lease as operating or financing leases, and leases are recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as both a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the ROU asset is reduced over the lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the non-cash lease expense result in straight-line rent expense over the lease term. For finance leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the ROU asset results in front-loaded expense over the lease term. Variable lease expenses, including common maintenance fees, insurance and property tax, are recorded when incurred.

In calculating the right-of-use asset and lease liability, the Company elects to combine lease and non-lease components for all classes of assets, and elects to exclude short-term leases having terms of 12 months or less.

Segments

Operating segments are defined as components of an entity for which separate financial information is available and that is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance. The Company’s CODM is its Chief Executive Officer. The Company has determined that it operates in one operating segment and one reportable segment, as the CODM reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, allocating resources, and evaluating financial performance.

Research and Development Cost

Costs related to research and development are expensed as incurred.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses represent costs incurred by the Company in managing the business, including salary, benefits, incentive compensation, marketing, insurance, professional fees and other operating costs associated with the Company’s non-research and development activities.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees, directors, and non-employees, including stock options, restricted stock units and restricted shares, based on estimated fair values recognized over the requisite service period. The Company accounts for forfeitures when they occur.

The fair values of options granted with only service conditions are estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This valuation model for stock-based compensation expense requires the Company to make assumptions and judgments about the variables used in the calculation, including the expected term (weighted-average period of time that the options granted are expected to be outstanding), the volatility of the Company’s common stock, and an assumed risk-free interest rate. The Company recognizes compensation expense for all options with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the option vesting term of four years.

The fair values of options granted with performance (e.g., business milestone) and market conditions (e.g., stock price target) are estimated at the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The model determined the grant date fair value of each vesting tranche and the future date when the market condition for such tranche is expected to be achieved. The Monte Carlo valuation requires the Company to make assumptions and judgements about the variables used in the calculation including the expected term, volatility of the Company's common stock, an assumed risk-free interest rate, and cost of equity.

For performance-based options with a vesting schedule based on the attainment of both performance and market conditions, along with service conditions, each quarter the Company assesses whether it is probable that it will achieve each performance condition that has not previously been achieved or deemed probable of achievement and if so, the future time when the Company expects to achieve that business milestone, or its “expected business milestone achievement time.” When the Company first determines that a business milestone has become probable of being achieved, the Company allocates the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and the then-applicable “expected vesting date,” which represents the requisite service period. The requisite service period at any given time is generally the period between the grant date and the later of (i) the expected time when the performance condition will be achieved (if the related performance condition has not yet been achieved) and (ii) the expected time when the market condition will be achieved (if the related market condition has not yet been achieved). The Company immediately recognizes a cumulative catch-up expense for all accumulated expense for the quarters from the grant date through the quarter in which the performance condition was first deemed probable of being achieved. Each quarter thereafter, the Company recognizes the then-remaining expense for the tranche through the end of the requisite service period except that upon vesting of a tranche, all remaining expense for that tranche is immediately recognized.

The fair values of restricted stock units granted with service conditions only are based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the date of grant. The Company recognizes compensation expense for restricted stock units with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the award vesting term of four years.

The fair values of restricted stock units granted with service and performance conditions are based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the grant date. The vesting schedule of such awards is based entirely on the attainment of both service and performance conditions. Each quarter the Company assesses whether it is probable that it will achieve each performance condition and if so, the future time when the Company expects to achieve that performance condition, the “expected vesting date”. When the Company first determines that a performance condition has become probable of being achieved, the Company allocates the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and expected vesting date, which represents the requisite service period. The requisite service period at any given time is generally the period between the grant date and the expected time when the performance condition will be achieved with the service condition also being met.

The Company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) is compensatory in accordance with ASC 718-50-25. The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for shares to be issued under the ESPP based on estimated grant date fair value recognized on a straight-line basis over the offering period.

The ESPP provides eligible employees with the opportunity to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock at a discount through payroll deductions. There were 324,997 shares purchased under the ESPP during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2023, 11.0 million shares of Class A Common Stock were reserved for future issuance under the ESPP.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and operating loss carryforwards, measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. Valuation allowances are provided when necessary to reduce net deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company recognizes tax liabilities based upon its estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due when such estimates are more likely than not to be sustained. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained.

The Company has no provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company has no current tax expense from losses and no deferred expense from the valuation allowance. The Company’s effective tax rate differs from the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets as it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Abstract]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Note 3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-01, Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Agreements, which clarifies the accounting for leasehold improvements associated with common control leases. The ASU is effective for all entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations - Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement, which addresses the accounting for contributions made to a joint venture, upon formation, in a joint venture's separate financial statements. The ASU is effective prospectively for all joint venture formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025. Additionally, a joint venture that was formed before January 1, 2025 may elect to apply the amendments retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted, either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

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Fair Value Measurement

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurement

Note 4. Fair Value Measurement

The Company’s financial assets subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis and the level of inputs used for such measurements were as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Fair Value Measured as of September 30, 2023
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets included in:
Money market funds(1)	$	117,909	$	—	$	117,909
Commercial paper(2)		—		96,229		96,229
U.S. government and agency securities(2)		—		787,950		787,950
Corporate notes and bonds(2)		—		132,736		132,736
Total fair value	$	117,909	$	1,016,915	$	1,134,824
	Fair Value Measured as of December 31, 2022
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets included in:
Money market funds(1)	$	107,439	$	—	$	107,439
Commercial paper(2)		—		104,231		104,231
U.S. government and agency securities(2)		—		610,450		610,450
Corporate notes and bonds(2)		—		188,658		188,658
Total fair value	$	107,439	$	903,339	$	1,010,778

(1)Money market funds are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)Marketable securities consist of commercial paper, U.S. government and agency securities, corporate notes and bonds. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, marketable securities with original maturities of three months or less of $140.3 million and $77.0 million, respectively, are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Level 1 assets: Money market funds are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy, as fair value is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

Level 2 assets: Investments in commercial paper, U.S. government and agency securities, and corporate notes and bonds are classified as Level 2 as they were valued based upon quoted market prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant inputs are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets.

The Company had no financial liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

There have been no changes to the valuation methods utilized during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their respective fair values due to their short-term nature.

Marketable Securities

The following table summarizes, by major security type, the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. Amortized cost net of unrealized gain (loss) is equal to fair value as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. The fair value as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Amortized  Cost		Gross Unrealized  Gain		Gross Unrealized  Loss			Fair Value
Level 1 securities
Money market funds	$	117,909	$	—	$	—		$	117,909
Level 2 securities
Commercial paper		96,229		—		—			96,229
U.S. government and agency securities		791,085		28		(3,163	)		787,950
Corporate notes and bonds		135,924		—		(3,188	)		132,736
Total	$	1,141,147	$	28	$	(6,351	)	$	1,134,824
	December 31, 2022
	Amortized  Cost		Gross Unrealized  Gain		Gross Unrealized  Loss			Fair Value
Level 1 securities
Money market funds	$	107,439	$	—	$	—		$	107,439
Level 2 securities
Commercial paper		104,231		—		—			104,231
U.S. government and agency securities		620,660		24		(10,234	)		610,450
Corporate notes and bonds		196,321		—		(7,663	)		188,658
Total	$	1,028,651	$	24	$	(17,897	)	$	1,010,778

Realized gains and losses and interest income from the investment are included in interest income.

The Company regularly reviews its available-for-sale marketable securities in an unrealized loss position and evaluates the current expected credit loss by considering factors such as historical experience, market data, issuer-specific factors, and current economic conditions. The following tables display additional information regarding gross unrealized losses and fair value by major security type for the 75 and 95 marketable securities in unrealized loss positions as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Less than 12 Consecutive Months					12 Consecutive Months or Longer					Total
	Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value
U.S. government and agency securities	$	(75	)	$	301,624	$	(3,088	)	$	120,974	$	(3,163	)	$	422,598
Corporate notes and bonds		(1	)		2,000		(3,187	)		130,735		(3,188	)		132,735
Total	$	(76	)	$	303,624	$	(6,275	)	$	251,709	$	(6,351	)	$	555,333
	December 31, 2022
	Less than 12 Consecutive Months					12 Consecutive Months or Longer					Total
	Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value
U.S. government and agency securities	$	(521	)	$	231,047	$	(9,713	)	$	336,517	$	(10,234	)	$	567,564
Corporate notes and bonds		(261	)		18,585		(7,402	)		170,073		(7,663	)		188,658
Total	$	(782	)	$	249,632	$	(17,115	)	$	506,590	$	(17,897	)	$	756,222

The unrealized losses were attributable to changes in interest rates that impacted the value of the investments, and not increased credit risk. There were no sales of available-for-sale marketable securities during the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company received proceeds of $1.5 million and $15.2 million, respectively, including interest, from the sale of available-for-sale marketable securities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company realized immaterial gains and losses as a result of such sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company does not intend to sell the investments that are in an unrealized loss position, nor is it more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investments before the recovery of the amortized cost basis, which may be its maturity. Accordingly, the Company did not record an allowance for credit losses associated with these investments.

The estimated amortized cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities by contractual maturity as of September 30, 2023 are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Due within one year	$	1,133,605	$	1,127,585
Due after one year and through five years		7,542		7,239
Total	$	1,141,147	$	1,134,824

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Balance Sheet Components

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract]

Balance Sheet Components

Note 5. Balance Sheet Components

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	September 30,			December 31
	2023			2022
Computer equipment, hardware, and software	$	7,191		$	6,784
Furniture and fixtures		77,515			57,771
Leasehold improvements		86,872			72,201
Machinery and equipment		148,676			120,618
Construction-in-progress		98,648			108,585
Property and equipment, gross		418,902			365,959
Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(96,999	)		(70,025	)
Property and equipment, net	$	321,903		$	295,934

Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $11.2 million and $8.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $30.0 million and $18.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	September 30,		December 31,
	2023		2022
Long-term advance payments	$	2,515	$	2,615
Asset retirement obligation		9,196		5,873
Other liabilities	$	11,711	$	8,488

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Leases

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Leases [Abstract]

Leases

Note 6. Leases

The Company leases its headquarters, pre-pilot manufacturing facilities and certain equipment, with current lease terms running through 2032. Fixed rent generally escalates each year, and the Company is responsible for a portion of the landlords’ operating expenses such as property tax, insurance and common area maintenance.

In April 2021, the Company entered into a lease agreement for premises located in San Jose, California to be used for QS-0, our consolidated pre-pilot line. The lease expires in September 2032. Under this QS-0 lease, the Company has two five-year renewal options, which have not been included in the calculation of the lease liability and right-of use asset at the lease inception as the exercise of the options was not reasonably certain. This initial QS-0 lease is classified as a finance lease.

In June 2021, the Company amended the terms of its 2013 headquarter lease to provide for, among other things, an extension of the lease term to September 2032. Under the amended headquarter lease, the Company retained its one five-year renewal option, which has not been included in the calculation of lease liabilities and right of use assets at the amendment date, as the exercise of the option was not reasonably certain.

In November 2021, the Company entered into lease agreements for additional premises in San Jose, California adjacent to the site of QS-0. The November 2021 leases represent an expansion of space for QS-0 and the Company’s engineering and development activities. Such leases will expire in September 2032 but include an option to extend the terms of the lease for an additional 10-year period. The November 2021 leases commenced in November 2021, January 2022, and April 2022 and were classified as operating leases. The additional 10-year extension period has not been included in the calculation of the lease liability and right-of-use asset at the lease inception as the exercise of the option was not reasonably certain.

The Company’s leases do not have any contingent rent payments and do not contain residual value guarantees.

The components of lease related expense are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
Lease costs	2023		2022		2023		2022
Finance lease costs:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	$	718	$	718	$	2,155	$	2,155
Interest on lease liabilities		593		600		1,795		1,807
Operating lease costs		2,253		2,310		6,795		6,568
Variable lease costs		695		620		3,065		1,753
Total lease expense	$	4,259	$	4,248	$	13,810	$	12,283

The components of supplemental cash and non-cash information related to leases are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022
Operating outgoing cash flows - finance lease	$	1,195	$	1,207
Financing outgoing cash flows - finance lease		1,290		809
Operating outgoing cash flows - operating lease		5,224		2,572
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities		—		28,845

The table below displays additional information for leases as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:

	September 30, 2023			December 31, 2022
Finance lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - finance lease (in years)		9.0			9.8
Weighted-average discount rate - finance lease		6.06	%		6.06	%
Operating lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating lease (in years)		8.9			9.6
Weighted-average discount rate - operating lease		6.36	%		6.36	%

As of September 30, 2023, future minimum payments during the next five years and thereafter are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Fiscal Year	Operating Leases			Finance Lease
2023 (remaining three months)	$	2,203		$	1,265
2024		8,833			5,131
2025		9,047			5,272
2026		9,021			5,417
2027		9,135			5,566
2028		9,404			5,719
Thereafter		36,965			22,345
Total		84,608			50,715
Less present value discount		(20,841	)		(12,027	)
Lease liabilities	$	63,767		$	38,688

As the Company’s lease agreements do not provide an implicit rate, the Company used an estimated incremental borrowing rate that will be incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term at the lease commencement date or modification date in determining the present value of lease payments.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company establishes assets and liabilities for the present value of estimated future costs to return certain of our leased facilities to their original condition upon the termination or expiration of a lease. The recognition of an asset retirement obligation requires the Company to make assumptions and judgments including the actions required to satisfy the liability, inflation rates and the credit-adjusted risk-free rate. The initially recognized asset retirement cost is amortized using the same method and useful life as the long-lived asset to which it relates. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value.

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Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Note 7. Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, and in the ordinary course of business, the Company may be subject to certain claims, charges and litigation concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of the Company’s business activities.

Warrants Litigation

Purported Company warrantholders filed actions against the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging, among other things, that they were entitled to exercise their warrants within 30 days of the closing of the Business Combination and that the preliminary and final versions of the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement dated September 21, 2020, and November 12, 2020, were misleading and/or omitted material information concerning the exercise of the warrants. The actions have been consolidated for the purposes of discovery and motion practice. The operative consolidated complaint, filed January 21, 2022, seeks monetary damages for alleged breach of contract, securities law violations, and fraud. On September 28, 2023, the court granted in part and denied in part the parties’ respective motions for partial summary judgment. QuantumScape continues to believe it has meritorious defenses to the claims and intends to defend itself vigorously.

Securities Class Action Litigation

Beginning in January 2021 class action lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California by purported purchasers of Company securities. The lead plaintiff filed a consolidated complaint on June 21, 2021, which alleges a purported class that includes all persons who purchased or acquired our securities between November 27, 2020 and April 14, 2021. The consolidated complaint names the Company, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, and its Chief Technology Officer as defendants. The consolidated complaint alleges that the defendants purportedly made false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, including information regarding the Company’s battery technology. On January 14, 2022, defendants’ motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint was substantially denied. On December 19, 2022, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion to certify the class. QuantumScape continues to believe it has meritorious defenses to the claims and intends to defend itself vigorously.

Shareholder Derivative Litigation

Two shareholder derivative suits were filed in February 2021 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against 11 officers and directors of the Company and have been consolidated into one action, with the first-filed complaint being designated the operative one. The Company is the nominal defendant. The complaint alleges that the individual defendants breached various duties to the Company and contains additional similar allegations based on the same general allegations in the class action described immediately above. VGA is also named as a defendant in the derivative litigation. The action is currently stayed.

Four shareholder derivative suits were filed beginning in June 2022 in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware against current and former directors and officers of the Company. The Company is the nominal defendant. The complaints allege that the individual defendants breached various duties to the Company. VGA is also named as a defendant in two of those actions. The suits were consolidated and are currently stayed.

Delaware Class Action

A shareholder derivative suit was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2022, against former and current directors and officers of the Company and of Kensington. Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on March 3, 2023, this time seeking relief on behalf of a putative class of holders of Kensington Class A Common Stock who held such stock prior to the November 23, 2020 redemption deadline and were allegedly entitled to redeem their shares but did not. The amended class action complaint alleges that the defendants breached various duties to the Company or aided and abetted such breaches. Defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaint on May 8, 2023, which motions are pending.

For many legal matters, particularly those in early stages, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the possible loss (or range of loss), if any. The Company records an accrual for legal matters at the time or times it determines that a loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. Amounts accrued as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 were not material. Regarding matters for which no accrual has been made (including the potential for losses in excess of amounts accrued), the Company currently believes, based on its own investigations, that any losses (or ranges of losses) that are reasonably possible and estimable will not, in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the ultimate outcome of legal proceedings involves judgments, estimates, and inherent uncertainties and cannot be predicted with certainty. Should the ultimate outcome of any legal matter be unfavorable, the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. The Company may also incur substantial legal fees, which are expensed as incurred, in defending against legal claims.

Other commitments

The Company's minimum purchase commitments consist of non-cancellable agreements to purchase goods and services, primarily for materials, and licenses and hosting services, entered into in the ordinary course of business.

As of September 30, 2023, future minimum purchase commitments in aggregate during the next five years and thereafter are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Fiscal Year	Minimum Purchase Commitments
2023 (remaining three months)	$	1,170
2024		4,194
2025		4,309
2026		2,142
2027		1,418
Thereafter		—
Total	$	13,233

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Stockholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

Note 8. Stockholders’ Equity

As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, 1,350,000,000 shares, $0.0001 par value per share are authorized, of which, 1,000,000,000 shares are designated as Class A Common Stock, 250,000,000 shares are designated as Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares are designated as Preferred Stock.

Common Stock

Holders of common stock are entitled to dividends when, as, and if, declared by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), subject to the rights of the holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not declared any dividends. The holder of each share of Class A Common Stock is entitled to one vote, and the holder of each share of Class B Common Stock is entitled to ten votes.

In March 2021, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of shares of its Class A Common Stock and issued 11,960,000 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $462.9 million, net of issuance costs of $15.5 million (the “March 2021 Public Offering”).

On February 28, 2023, the Company entered into separate Distribution Agreements with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as sales agents, pursuant to which the Company is able to, from time to time, issue and sell common stock with an aggregate offering price of up to $400 million (the “At-the-Market Offering”, or the “ATM offering”) under the prospectus supplement to the Form S-3 filed on February 28, 2023 (File No. 333-266419). No shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock were sold pursuant to the ATM offering during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

In August 2023, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of its Class A Common Stock and issued 37,500,000 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $288.2 million, net of issuance costs of $11.8 million (the “August 2023 Public Offering”).

Equity Incentive Plans

Prior to the Business Combination, the Company maintained its 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”), under which the Company granted options and restricted stock units to purchase or directly issue shares of common stock to employees, directors, and non-employees.

Upon the closing of the Business Combination, awards under the 2010 Plan were converted at the exchange ratio of 4.02175014920, and assumed into the 2020 Equity Incentive Award Plan (the “2020 Plan”, and together with the 2010 Plan, the “Plans”). The 2020 Plan permits the granting of awards in the form of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units and performance awards to employees, directors, and non-employees.

As of September 30, 2023, 84,813,924 shares of Class A Common Stock are authorized for issuance pursuant to awards under the 2020 Plan, plus any shares of Class A Common Stock subject to stock options, restricted stock units or other awards that were assumed in the Business Combination and terminate as a result of being unexercised or are forfeited or repurchased by the Company, with the maximum number of shares to be added to the 2020 Plan equal to 69,846,580 shares of Class A Common Stock.

Stock Options

Stock option activity under the Plans, including the EPA Program discussed below, is as follows:

	Number of Shares Outstanding (in thousands)			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)		Intrinsic value (in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2022(1)		50,124		$	8.65		6.05
Cancelled and forfeited(2)		(865	)		22.47		—
Exercised		(6,396	)		1.27		—
Balance as of September 30, 2023		42,863		$	9.47		5.71	$	127,886
Vested and expected to vest as of September 30, 2023(3)		33,792		$	5.83		5.04	$	127,886
Vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023		26,478		$	1.95		4.23	$	125,572

(1) This includes 16.0 million options granted and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 pursuant to the EPA Program.

(2) This includes 0.8 million options under the EPA Program.

(3) This includes 6.0 million options granted pursuant to the EPA Program that are currently expected to vest. None of the options granted pursuant to the EPA Program were vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023.
 

There were no options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 or September 30, 2022. The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $46.3 million and $38.1 million, respectively.

Excluding options granted pursuant to the EPA Program, as of September 30, 2023, the Company had stock-based compensation of $3.1 million related to unvested stock options not yet recognized that are expected to be recognized over an estimated weighted average period of 1.5 years.

EPA Program

In December 2021, the Company granted stock options for the purchase of an aggregate of approximately 14.7 million shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Company’s management team pursuant to the EPA Program that was approved by the Company's stockholders in December 2021. In December 2022, the remaining 2.1 million stock options under the EPA Program were granted to members of the Company's management team under the same terms as those in the initial grant in 2021, representing the final grant pursuant to the EPA Program approved in December 2021. The EPA Program consists of five equal tranches (each a “Tranche”) that vest if the Company meets certain business milestones (performance conditions) and stock price targets (market conditions).

Business Milestones

The compensation committee of the Board selected the following eleven business milestones for the EPA Program, of which one milestone must be achieved for each Tranche.

•Delivery of an A-sample battery cell that meets specifications agreed upon with an automaker

•The validation by an auto maker of a completed B-sample battery cell (a B-sample battery cell is a functional, complete battery cell prototype produced from our pre-pilot or sample production line)

•Delivery of at least 1-gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery cells to a single customer

•Delivery of at least 3-gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery cells to each of three or more customers, with at least one of such customer being an auto maker

•$5 billion in GAAP revenue over a period of trailing four quarters

•$10 billion in GAAP revenue over a period of trailing four quarters

•Total cumulative battery cell production of 500 GWh

•Total cumulative battery cell production of 1,000 GWh

•Adjusted EBITDA margin of at least 25% over four consecutive quarters

•10% of worldwide market share in automotive battery cells (excluding China)

•20% of worldwide market share in automotive battery cells (excluding China)

Once a business milestone has been achieved, that business milestone will be considered achieved, even if later the Company does not maintain performance at that level.

Stock Price Targets

The stock price targets of the five Tranches of the EPA Program are $60, $120, $180, $240 and $300.

To meet the stock price targets, the stock price must be sustained and not merely momentarily achieved. Except in the case of a change in control, the Company’s stock price for the purposes of assessing the stock price target will be the 120-day trailing average closing price (based on trading days), but a stock price target will not be achieved unless the trailing average closing price of the last 30 trading days of such 120-trading day period also meets or exceeds the applicable stock price target. For a stock price target for any given Tranche to be achieved, the last day of the 120-day measurement period must occur on or after the date that the requisite number of business milestones have been achieved for such Tranche.

Vesting Tranches

Each of the five Tranches vest only if the Company achieves one of the business milestones (in addition to the business milestones already achieved in a prior Tranche) and achieves the applicable stock price target on or after the business milestone is achieved, within 10 years of the initial grants. Additionally, in order to vest in any Tranche, Participants generally must continue to provide service through the date of vesting in the same position, or a similar or higher role, as when the EPA Program awards are granted.

Tranche	Business Milestone Requirement	Stock Price Target
1	Achievement of 1 business milestone	$60
2	Achievement of 2 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 1)	$120
3	Achievement of 3 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 2)	$180
4	Achievement of 4 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 3)	$240
5	Achievement of 5 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 4)	$300

Change in Control

In the event of a change in control of the Company, a portion of the EPA Program awards may also be eligible to vest; in such event, the business milestone requirement will not be applicable and the Company’s stock price for the purposes of the stock price targets will be the price per share paid in such change in control. In the event that the Company’s stock price by this measure falls between two stock price targets, linear interpolation between the two applicable stock price targets will be used to determine an additional portion of the EPA Program awards that will vest. Any portion of an EPA Program award that is not vested upon and after giving effect to a change in control will terminate.

The Company accounts for the compensation expense associated with each Tranche when it determines that achievement of a related business milestone is considered probable. As of September 30, 2023, the business milestone for one Tranche had been achieved; however, because the related stock price target has not yet been achieved, no shares have vested to date. As of September 30, 2023, one other Tranche was considered probable.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $5.3 million and $23.7 million, respectively, related to the EPA Program. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $12.1 million and $37.7 million, respectively, related to the EPA Program. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $34.8 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for the business milestones currently achieved or considered probable of achievement, which will be recognized over an estimated weighted-average period of 3.3 years. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $168.0 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for the business milestones currently considered not probable of achievement.

Restricted Stock Units Activities

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company granted 4.0 million shares of restricted stock units with service and performance conditions (“PSU”) to members of the Company’s management team and certain other employees under the Company's 2020 Plan. The performance conditions for these PSUs are related to the Company’s product development milestones through May 2026. These PSUs will expire in May 2026 if performance conditions are not met. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $4.0 million and $11.4 million, respectively, related to these PSUs, upon determination that the product development milestones are currently considered probable of achievement.

The Company established the 2023 Bonus Plan to be settled in the form of restricted stock units to employees upon the achievement of certain service and performance conditions. These performance conditions are related to the Company’s product development, operational, and business milestones in the current year. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $4.5 million and $15.7 million related to the 2023 Bonus Plan for the performance conditions currently considered probable of achievement. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, approximately 423 thousand restricted stock units were granted and vested under the 2023 Bonus Plan for the interim payout, resulting in $2.9 million in additional paid in capital. The remaining stock-based compensation expense of $12.8 million related to the 2023 Bonus Plan are recorded as liabilities under Accrued compensation and benefits in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023, and will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital upon issuance of the restricted stock units.

Restricted stock units with service conditions only (“RSU”) and PSU activities under the Plans are as follows:

	RSUs Outstanding					PSUs Outstanding
	Number of Units (in thousands)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Units (in thousands)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance as of December 31, 2022		16,563		$	13.79		—		$	—
Granted		16,013			7.52		4,454			7.68
Vested		(6,842	)		11.06		(423	)		6.82
Forfeited		(1,948	)		13.19		(46	)		7.87
Balance as of September 30, 2023		23,786		$	10.43		3,985		$	7.77

The fair value of RSUs which vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 was approximately $53.3 million for both periods. The fair value of PSUs vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $2.9 million, which was the interim payout under the 2023 Bonus Plan.

As of September 30, 2023, unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested RSUs and PSUs were $230.3 million and $19.6 million, respectively, and are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.7 years and 1.3 years, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

Total stock-based compensation expense recognized in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for all awards is as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Research and development	$	23,977	$	17,233	$	71,390	$	45,255
General and administrative		16,414		16,345		56,983		47,730
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	40,391	$	33,578	$	128,373	$	92,985

The stock-based compensation expense in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 includes $12.8 million recorded as liabilities under Accrued compensation and benefits, which is related to the 2023 Bonus Plan, in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023.

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Earnings (Loss) Per Share

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Note 9. Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share adjusts basic earnings per share for the potentially dilutive impact of stock options and warrants. As the Company has reported a loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, potentially dilutive securities including stock options and warrants, are antidilutive and accordingly, basic net loss per share equals diluted net loss per share.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(110,617	)	$	(117,660	)	$	(331,785	)	$	(302,841	)
Denominator:
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Basic and Diluted		471,752			434,051			452,503			431,654
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Basic and Diluted	$	(0.23	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.73	)	$	(0.70	)

Basic and diluted earnings per share was the same for each period presented as the inclusion of all potential Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock outstanding would have been anti-dilutive.

The following table presents the potential common stock outstanding that was excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common stock as of the periods presented because including them would have been antidilutive (amounts in thousands):

	As of September 30,
	2023		2022
Options		42,863		48,610
RSUs		23,786		16,378
PSUs		7,059		—
Total		73,708		64,988

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Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Joint Venture And Non Controlling Interest [Abstract]

Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

Note 10. Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

As described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in September 2018, Legacy QuantumScape entered into a JVA, which was amended in 2020, with VWGoA and VGA and formed QSV. The Company has determined that the entity was a VIE with a related party, and the Company’s operations were more closely associated with QSV. As such, the Company consolidates QSV for financial reporting purposes, and a non-controlling interest is recorded for VGA’s interest in the net assets and operations of QSV’s operations to the extent of the VGA investment. The Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets includes $3.5 million and $3.4 million cash and cash equivalents of QSV as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Although the Company has consolidated the net assets of QSV, it has no right to the use of those assets for its standalone operations.

The following table sets forth the change in redeemable non-controlling interest for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (amounts in thousands):

	Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest
Balance as of December 31, 2022	$	1,704
Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV		45
Balance as of September 30, 2023	$	1,749

	Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest
Balance as of December 31, 2021	$	1,693
Net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV		(2	)
Balance as of September 30, 2022	$	1,691

Pursuant to the agreement with VWGoA, the Company has reserved $134.0 million to fund its expected equity contributions to QSV, which amounts are included in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023.

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) as determined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and pursuant to the regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

The Company’s policy is to consolidate all entities that it controls by ownership of a majority of the outstanding voting stock. In addition, the Company consolidates entities that meet the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which the Company is the related party most closely associated with and is the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the party who has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and who has an obligation to absorb losses of the entity or a right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. For consolidated entities that are less than wholly owned, the third party’s holding of an equity interest is presented as redeemable non-controlling interests in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity. The portion of net earnings (loss) attributable to the redeemable non-controlling interests is presented as net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Legacy QuantumScape was a single-legal entity prior to becoming a partner with Volkswagen in QSV Operations LLC (“QSV”). As noted in the section titled “Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest” below, Legacy QuantumScape determined QSV was a VIE for which it was required to consolidate the operations upon its formation in 2018. Following the closing of the Business Combination, the Company made the same determination and the Company continued to consolidate the operations of QSV in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 as the determination of the VIE has not changed.

All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements as well as reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates made by the Company include, but are not limited to, those related to the valuation of common stock prior to the Business Combination and valuation of awards under the Extraordinary Performance Award Program (the “EPA Program”), among others. The Company bases these estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

The accompanying interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023, the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, are unaudited. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual consolidated financial statements and, in management’s opinion, include adjustments consisting of only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2023 and its results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The financial data and the other financial information disclosed in the notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements related to the three-month and nine-month periods are also unaudited. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year or any other period.

These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in the Company’s audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed on February 28, 2023 (the “Annual Report”).

Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

QSV was incorporated as a limited liability company in 2018. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“VWGoA”), Volkswagen Group of America Investments, LLC (“VGA”) and Legacy QuantumScape executed a Joint Venture Agreement (“JVA”), effective September 2018, with the goal of jointly establishing a manufacturing facility to produce the pilot line of the Company’s product through QSV. In connection with this agreement, the parties also have entered into two operating agreements: (i) the Limited Liability Company Agreement of QSV to govern the respective rights and obligations as members of QSV and (ii) the Common IP License Agreement for the Company to license certain intellectual property pertaining to automotive battery cells as defined in the JVA to VWGoA, VGA and QSV.

Volkswagen is a related party stockholder (approximately 24.1% and 21.5% voting interest holder of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively). Upon the effectiveness of the JVA, each party contributed $1.7 million in cash to capitalize QSV in exchange for 50% equity interests.

The joint venture is considered a VIE with a related party and therefore the related party whose business is more closely related to the planned operations of the joint venture is required to consolidate the operations.

The Company determined its operations were most closely aligned with the operations of the joint venture and therefore has consolidated the results of QSV’s operations in its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest and Stockholders’ Equity. QSV had minimal operations through September 30, 2023.

The Company classifies non-controlling interests with redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Company within temporary equity on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A, SEC Staff Announcement: Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities (“ASC 480-10-S99-3A”). The non-controlling interest was recorded outside of stockholders’ equity because the non-controlling interest provides the holder with put rights in the event of, amongst others, (i) the failure by the Company to meet specified development milestones within certain timeframes, (ii) the parties to the JVA cannot agree to certain commercial terms within certain timeframes, or (iii) a change of control of the Company, which such events are considered not solely within the Company’s control. The Company adjusts redeemable non-controlling interests for the portion of net loss attributable to the redeemable non-controlling interests. As of September 30, 2023, the redeemable non-controlling interest is equivalent to the value of Volkswagen's interest in the joint venture. The commercialization timeline originally contemplated in 2018 by the joint venture agreements, and by subsequent amendments, has changed, and at the time of filing of our Annual Report, certain milestones contemplated by the joint venture agreements had not been met. As a result, Volkswagen’s right to exercise its put rights has been triggered. If Volkswagen exercises such rights, the joint venture with Volkswagen and Volkswagen’s commitments to purchase output capacity from the joint venture would terminate, and we would be obligated to purchase Volkswagen’s interest in the joint venture for its book value. As of September 30, 2023, the book value of this interest was approximately $1.7 million and is recorded as a redeemable non-controlling interest in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. To date, Volkswagen has not informed us of any intention to exercise their put rights.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, approximately $117.9 million and $107.4 million of our total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, are held in U.S. money market funds, and $787.9 million and $610.5 million are invested in U.S. government and agency securities, respectively. The Company seeks to mitigate its credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities by making deposits with what we believe to be large, reputable financial institutions and investing in high credit rated shorter-term instruments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Management considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Restricted cash is maintained under an agreement that legally restricts the use of such funds and is reported within other assets as the date of availability or disbursement for all restricted cash is more than one year from September 30, 2023.

Restricted cash is comprised of $18.0 million as of September 30, 2023 and $17.5 million as of December 31, 2022, respectively, all of which is pledged as a form of security for the Company’s lease agreements for its headquarters and pre-pilot manufacturing facilities.

Marketable Securities

Marketable Securities

The Company’s investment policy is consistent with the definition of available-for-sale securities. The Company does not buy and hold securities principally for the purpose of selling them in the near future. The Company’s policy is focused on the preservation of capital, liquidity, and return. From time to time, the Company may sell certain securities, but the objectives are generally not to generate profits on short-term differences in price.

These securities are carried at estimated fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive gain/loss in stockholders’ equity until realized. Gains and losses on marketable security transactions are reported on the specific-identification method. Dividend and interest income are recognized when earned.

Fair Value Measurement

Fair Value Measurement

The Company applies fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. The accounting guidance established a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, used to determine the fair value of its financial instruments. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

•Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access.

•Level 2 – Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets and liabilities.

•Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at historical cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the related asset. Improvements that increase functionality of the fixed asset are capitalized and depreciated over the asset’s remaining useful life. Deposits for purchases of property and equipment are included in construction-in-progress. Construction-in-progress is not depreciated until the asset is placed in service. Fully depreciated assets are retained in property and equipment, net, until removed from service.

The estimated useful lives of assets are generally as follows:

Computer equipment, hardware, and software	3 - 5 years
Furniture and fixtures	7 - 10 years
Machinery and equipment	3 - 10 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of the lease term (including estimated renewals) or the estimated useful lives of the improvements

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets when indicators of impairment exist. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the estimated separately identifiable, undiscounted cash flows from such an asset are less than the carrying value of the asset. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred impairment charges of $6.3 million related to the decommissioning of certain assets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred cancellation charges of $11.3 million related to the purchase of equipment. These charges are recorded in Research and Development expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Leases

Leases

The Company classifies arrangements meeting the definition of a lease as operating or financing leases, and leases are recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as both a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the ROU asset is reduced over the lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the non-cash lease expense result in straight-line rent expense over the lease term. For finance leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the ROU asset results in front-loaded expense over the lease term. Variable lease expenses, including common maintenance fees, insurance and property tax, are recorded when incurred.

In calculating the right-of-use asset and lease liability, the Company elects to combine lease and non-lease components for all classes of assets, and elects to exclude short-term leases having terms of 12 months or less.

Segments

Segments

Operating segments are defined as components of an entity for which separate financial information is available and that is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance. The Company’s CODM is its Chief Executive Officer. The Company has determined that it operates in one operating segment and one reportable segment, as the CODM reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, allocating resources, and evaluating financial performance.

Research and Development Cost

Research and Development Cost

Costs related to research and development are expensed as incurred.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses represent costs incurred by the Company in managing the business, including salary, benefits, incentive compensation, marketing, insurance, professional fees and other operating costs associated with the Company’s non-research and development activities.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees, directors, and non-employees, including stock options, restricted stock units and restricted shares, based on estimated fair values recognized over the requisite service period. The Company accounts for forfeitures when they occur.

The fair values of options granted with only service conditions are estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This valuation model for stock-based compensation expense requires the Company to make assumptions and judgments about the variables used in the calculation, including the expected term (weighted-average period of time that the options granted are expected to be outstanding), the volatility of the Company’s common stock, and an assumed risk-free interest rate. The Company recognizes compensation expense for all options with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the option vesting term of four years.

The fair values of options granted with performance (e.g., business milestone) and market conditions (e.g., stock price target) are estimated at the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The model determined the grant date fair value of each vesting tranche and the future date when the market condition for such tranche is expected to be achieved. The Monte Carlo valuation requires the Company to make assumptions and judgements about the variables used in the calculation including the expected term, volatility of the Company's common stock, an assumed risk-free interest rate, and cost of equity.

For performance-based options with a vesting schedule based on the attainment of both performance and market conditions, along with service conditions, each quarter the Company assesses whether it is probable that it will achieve each performance condition that has not previously been achieved or deemed probable of achievement and if so, the future time when the Company expects to achieve that business milestone, or its “expected business milestone achievement time.” When the Company first determines that a business milestone has become probable of being achieved, the Company allocates the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and the then-applicable “expected vesting date,” which represents the requisite service period. The requisite service period at any given time is generally the period between the grant date and the later of (i) the expected time when the performance condition will be achieved (if the related performance condition has not yet been achieved) and (ii) the expected time when the market condition will be achieved (if the related market condition has not yet been achieved). The Company immediately recognizes a cumulative catch-up expense for all accumulated expense for the quarters from the grant date through the quarter in which the performance condition was first deemed probable of being achieved. Each quarter thereafter, the Company recognizes the then-remaining expense for the tranche through the end of the requisite service period except that upon vesting of a tranche, all remaining expense for that tranche is immediately recognized.

The fair values of restricted stock units granted with service conditions only are based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the date of grant. The Company recognizes compensation expense for restricted stock units with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the award vesting term of four years.

The fair values of restricted stock units granted with service and performance conditions are based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the grant date. The vesting schedule of such awards is based entirely on the attainment of both service and performance conditions. Each quarter the Company assesses whether it is probable that it will achieve each performance condition and if so, the future time when the Company expects to achieve that performance condition, the “expected vesting date”. When the Company first determines that a performance condition has become probable of being achieved, the Company allocates the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and expected vesting date, which represents the requisite service period. The requisite service period at any given time is generally the period between the grant date and the expected time when the performance condition will be achieved with the service condition also being met.

The Company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) is compensatory in accordance with ASC 718-50-25. The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for shares to be issued under the ESPP based on estimated grant date fair value recognized on a straight-line basis over the offering period.

The ESPP provides eligible employees with the opportunity to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock at a discount through payroll deductions. There were 324,997 shares purchased under the ESPP during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2023, 11.0 million shares of Class A Common Stock were reserved for future issuance under the ESPP.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and operating loss carryforwards, measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. Valuation allowances are provided when necessary to reduce net deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company recognizes tax liabilities based upon its estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due when such estimates are more likely than not to be sustained. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained.

The Company has no provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company has no current tax expense from losses and no deferred expense from the valuation allowance. The Company’s effective tax rate differs from the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets as it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Property and Equipment and Their Estimated Useful Lives of Assets

The estimated useful lives of assets are generally as follows:

Computer equipment, hardware, and software	3 - 5 years
Furniture and fixtures	7 - 10 years
Machinery and equipment	3 - 10 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of the lease term (including estimated renewals) or the estimated useful lives of the improvements

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Fair Value Measurement (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Summary of Financial Assets Subject to Fair Value Measurements on Recurring Basis

The Company’s financial assets subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis and the level of inputs used for such measurements were as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Fair Value Measured as of September 30, 2023
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets included in:
Money market funds(1)	$	117,909	$	—	$	117,909
Commercial paper(2)		—		96,229		96,229
U.S. government and agency securities(2)		—		787,950		787,950
Corporate notes and bonds(2)		—		132,736		132,736
Total fair value	$	117,909	$	1,016,915	$	1,134,824
	Fair Value Measured as of December 31, 2022
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets included in:
Money market funds(1)	$	107,439	$	—	$	107,439
Commercial paper(2)		—		104,231		104,231
U.S. government and agency securities(2)		—		610,450		610,450
Corporate notes and bonds(2)		—		188,658		188,658
Total fair value	$	107,439	$	903,339	$	1,010,778

(1)Money market funds are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)Marketable securities consist of commercial paper, U.S. government and agency securities, corporate notes and bonds. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, marketable securities with original maturities of three months or less of $140.3 million and $77.0 million, respectively, are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Summary of Major Security Type Assets That Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis

The fair value as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Amortized  Cost		Gross Unrealized  Gain		Gross Unrealized  Loss			Fair Value
Level 1 securities
Money market funds	$	117,909	$	—	$	—		$	117,909
Level 2 securities
Commercial paper		96,229		—		—			96,229
U.S. government and agency securities		791,085		28		(3,163	)		787,950
Corporate notes and bonds		135,924		—		(3,188	)		132,736
Total	$	1,141,147	$	28	$	(6,351	)	$	1,134,824
	December 31, 2022
	Amortized  Cost		Gross Unrealized  Gain		Gross Unrealized  Loss			Fair Value
Level 1 securities
Money market funds	$	107,439	$	—	$	—		$	107,439
Level 2 securities
Commercial paper		104,231		—		—			104,231
U.S. government and agency securities		620,660		24		(10,234	)		610,450
Corporate notes and bonds		196,321		—		(7,663	)		188,658
Total	$	1,028,651	$	24	$	(17,897	)	$	1,010,778

Summary of Additional Information Gross Unrealized Losses and Fair Value By Major Security For Marketable Securities

The following tables display additional information regarding gross unrealized losses and fair value by major security type for the 75 and 95 marketable securities in unrealized loss positions as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Less than 12 Consecutive Months					12 Consecutive Months or Longer					Total
	Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value
U.S. government and agency securities	$	(75	)	$	301,624	$	(3,088	)	$	120,974	$	(3,163	)	$	422,598
Corporate notes and bonds		(1	)		2,000		(3,187	)		130,735		(3,188	)		132,735
Total	$	(76	)	$	303,624	$	(6,275	)	$	251,709	$	(6,351	)	$	555,333
	December 31, 2022
	Less than 12 Consecutive Months					12 Consecutive Months or Longer					Total
	Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Loss			Fair Value
U.S. government and agency securities	$	(521	)	$	231,047	$	(9,713	)	$	336,517	$	(10,234	)	$	567,564
Corporate notes and bonds		(261	)		18,585		(7,402	)		170,073		(7,663	)		188,658
Total	$	(782	)	$	249,632	$	(17,115	)	$	506,590	$	(17,897	)	$	756,222

Summary of Estimated Amortized Cost and Fair Value of Available-for-Sale Securities by Contractual Maturity

The estimated amortized cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities by contractual maturity as of September 30, 2023 are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	September 30, 2023
	Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Due within one year	$	1,133,605	$	1,127,585
Due after one year and through five years		7,542		7,239
Total	$	1,141,147	$	1,134,824

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Balance Sheet Components (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Property and Equipment

Property and equipment as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	September 30,			December 31
	2023			2022
Computer equipment, hardware, and software	$	7,191		$	6,784
Furniture and fixtures		77,515			57,771
Leasehold improvements		86,872			72,201
Machinery and equipment		148,676			120,618
Construction-in-progress		98,648			108,585
Property and equipment, gross		418,902			365,959
Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(96,999	)		(70,025	)
Property and equipment, net	$	321,903		$	295,934

Schedule Of Other Liabilities

Other liabilities as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	September 30,		December 31,
	2023		2022
Long-term advance payments	$	2,515	$	2,615
Asset retirement obligation		9,196		5,873
Other liabilities	$	11,711	$	8,488

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Leases (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Leases [Abstract]

Summary of Lease Related Expense

The components of lease related expense are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
Lease costs	2023		2022		2023		2022
Finance lease costs:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	$	718	$	718	$	2,155	$	2,155
Interest on lease liabilities		593		600		1,795		1,807
Operating lease costs		2,253		2,310		6,795		6,568
Variable lease costs		695		620		3,065		1,753
Total lease expense	$	4,259	$	4,248	$	13,810	$	12,283

Summary of Supplemental Cash Flow Information Related to Leases

The components of supplemental cash and non-cash information related to leases are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022
Operating outgoing cash flows - finance lease	$	1,195	$	1,207
Financing outgoing cash flows - finance lease		1,290		809
Operating outgoing cash flows - operating lease		5,224		2,572
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities		—		28,845

Summary of Additional Information for Leases

The table below displays additional information for leases as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:

	September 30, 2023			December 31, 2022
Finance lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - finance lease (in years)		9.0			9.8
Weighted-average discount rate - finance lease		6.06	%		6.06	%
Operating lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating lease (in years)		8.9			9.6
Weighted-average discount rate - operating lease		6.36	%		6.36	%

Summary of Future Minimum Payments

As of September 30, 2023, future minimum payments during the next five years and thereafter are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Fiscal Year	Operating Leases			Finance Lease
2023 (remaining three months)	$	2,203		$	1,265
2024		8,833			5,131
2025		9,047			5,272
2026		9,021			5,417
2027		9,135			5,566
2028		9,404			5,719
Thereafter		36,965			22,345
Total		84,608			50,715
Less present value discount		(20,841	)		(12,027	)
Lease liabilities	$	63,767		$	38,688

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Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Future Minimum Purchase Commitments

As of September 30, 2023, future minimum purchase commitments in aggregate during the next five years and thereafter are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Fiscal Year	Minimum Purchase Commitments
2023 (remaining three months)	$	1,170
2024		4,194
2025		4,309
2026		2,142
2027		1,418
Thereafter		—
Total	$	13,233

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Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Schedule of Stock Option Activity

Stock option activity under the Plans, including the EPA Program discussed below, is as follows:

	Number of Shares Outstanding (in thousands)			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)		Intrinsic value (in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2022(1)		50,124		$	8.65		6.05
Cancelled and forfeited(2)		(865	)		22.47		—
Exercised		(6,396	)		1.27		—
Balance as of September 30, 2023		42,863		$	9.47		5.71	$	127,886
Vested and expected to vest as of September 30, 2023(3)		33,792		$	5.83		5.04	$	127,886
Vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023		26,478		$	1.95		4.23	$	125,572

(1) This includes 16.0 million options granted and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 pursuant to the EPA Program.

(2) This includes 0.8 million options under the EPA Program.

(3) This includes 6.0 million options granted pursuant to the EPA Program that are currently expected to vest. None of the options granted pursuant to the EPA Program were vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023.
 

Summary of Vesting Tranches

Each of the five Tranches vest only if the Company achieves one of the business milestones (in addition to the business milestones already achieved in a prior Tranche) and achieves the applicable stock price target on or after the business milestone is achieved, within 10 years of the initial grants. Additionally, in order to vest in any Tranche, Participants generally must continue to provide service through the date of vesting in the same position, or a similar or higher role, as when the EPA Program awards are granted.

Tranche	Business Milestone Requirement	Stock Price Target
1	Achievement of 1 business milestone	$60
2	Achievement of 2 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 1)	$120
3	Achievement of 3 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 2)	$180
4	Achievement of 4 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 3)	$240
5	Achievement of 5 business milestones (inclusive of the business milestone applicable to Tranche 4)	$300

Schedule of Restricted Stock Units with Service Condition and Performance Stock Unit Activities

Restricted stock units with service conditions only (“RSU”) and PSU activities under the Plans are as follows:

	RSUs Outstanding					PSUs Outstanding
	Number of Units (in thousands)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Units (in thousands)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance as of December 31, 2022		16,563		$	13.79		—		$	—
Granted		16,013			7.52		4,454			7.68
Vested		(6,842	)		11.06		(423	)		6.82
Forfeited		(1,948	)		13.19		(46	)		7.87
Balance as of September 30, 2023		23,786		$	10.43		3,985		$	7.77

Schedule of Stock-based Compensation Expense

Total stock-based compensation expense recognized in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for all awards is as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Research and development	$	23,977	$	17,233	$	71,390	$	45,255
General and administrative		16,414		16,345		56,983		47,730
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	40,391	$	33,578	$	128,373	$	92,985

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Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Schedule Of Earnings Per Share Basic And Diluted [Abstract]

Summary of Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share of Common Stock

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(110,617	)	$	(117,660	)	$	(331,785	)	$	(302,841	)
Denominator:
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Basic and Diluted		471,752			434,051			452,503			431,654
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Basic and Diluted	$	(0.23	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.73	)	$	(0.70	)

Summary of Potential Common Stock Outstanding Excluded from Computation of Diluted Net Loss Per Share

The following table presents the potential common stock outstanding that was excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common stock as of the periods presented because including them would have been antidilutive (amounts in thousands):

	As of September 30,
	2023		2022
Options		42,863		48,610
RSUs		23,786		16,378
PSUs		7,059		—
Total		73,708		64,988

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Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Joint Venture And Non Controlling Interest [Abstract]

Schedule of Change in Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest

The following table sets forth the change in redeemable non-controlling interest for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (amounts in thousands):

	Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest
Balance as of December 31, 2022	$	1,704
Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV		45
Balance as of September 30, 2023	$	1,749

	Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest
Balance as of December 31, 2021	$	1,693
Net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV		(2	)
Balance as of September 30, 2022	$	1,691

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) Segment shares	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 Agreement
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of operating agreements of joint venture parties | Agreement									2
Redeemable non-controlling interest	$ 1,749,000	$ 1,691,000	$ 1,749,000	$ 1,691,000	$ 1,704,000	$ 1,734,000	$ 1,684,000	$ 1,693,000
Restricted cash	18,000,000		$ 18,000,000		17,500,000
Number of reportable segment | Segment			1
Number of operating segment | Segment			1
Vesting period			4 years
Provision for income taxes	0	0	$ 0	0
Current income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	0	$ 0	0	0
Impairment charges related to decommission of certain assets	$ 6,300,000		6,342,000	$ 7,806,000
Cancellation charges incurred related to purchase of equipment			$ 11,300,000
Restricted Stock Unit | Maximum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Vesting period			4 years
Class A Common Stock
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of shares purchased | shares			324,997
Class A Common Stock | 2020 Equity Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Common stock reserved for future issuance | shares	11,000,000		11,000,000
US Government Money Market Fund and Marketable Securities
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investment securities	$ 117,900,000		$ 117,900,000		107,400,000
U.S. Government and Agency Securities
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investment securities	787,900,000		$ 787,900,000		$ 610,500,000
JVA
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of joint venture holders voting interest			24.10%		21.50%
Contribution in exchange for equity interests	$ 1,700,000		$ 1,700,000
Equity interests percentage	50.00%		50.00%
Redeemable non-controlling interest	$ 1,700,000		$ 1,700,000

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Property and Equipment and Their Estimated Useful Lives (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023
Computer Equipment, Hardware, and Software | Minimum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	3 years
Computer Equipment, Hardware, and Software | Maximum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	5 years
Furniture and Fixtures | Minimum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	7 years
Furniture and Fixtures | Maximum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	10 years
Machinery and Equipment | Minimum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	3 years
Machinery and Equipment | Maximum
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	10 years
Leasehold Improvements
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of assets	Shorter of the lease term (including estimated renewals) or the estimated useful lives of the improvements
Property, Plant, and Equipment, Useful Life, Term, Description [Extensible Enumeration]	us-gaap:UsefulLifeShorterOfTermOfLeaseOrAssetUtilityMember

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Fair Value Measurement - Summary of Financial Assets Subject to Fair Value Measurements on Recurring Basis (Details) - Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets		$ 1,134,824	$ 1,010,778
Money Market Funds
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[1]	117,909	107,439
Commercial Paper
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[2]	96,229	104,231
U.S. Government and Agency Securities
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[2]	787,950	610,450
Corporate Notes and Bonds
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[2]	132,736	188,658
Level 1
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets		117,909	107,439
Level 1 | Money Market Funds
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[1]	117,909	107,439
Level 2
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets		1,016,915	903,339
Level 2 | Commercial Paper
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[2]	96,229	104,231
Level 2 | U.S. Government and Agency Securities
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[2]	787,950	610,450
Level 2 | Corporate Notes and Bonds
Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total fair value assets	[2]	$ 132,736	$ 188,658

[1] Money market funds are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

[2] Marketable securities consist of commercial paper, U.S. government and agency securities, corporate notes and bonds. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, marketable securities with original maturities of three months or less of $140.3 million and $77.0 million, respectively, are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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Fair Value Measurement - Summary of Financial Assets Subject to Fair Value Measurements on Recurring Basis (Parenthetical) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Marketable securities	$ 140.3	$ 77.0

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Fair Value Measurement - Additional Information (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) Security	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) Security
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Financial liabilities subject to fair value measurements on recurring basis	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Proceeds from sale of available-for sale marketable securities	0	$ 0	1,500,000	$ 15,200,000
Allowance for credit losses	$ 0		$ 0
Number of marketable securities in an unrealized loss position | Security			75		95

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Fair Value Measurement - Summary of Major Security Type Assets That Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Details) - Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Schedule of Available for Sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$ 1,141,147	$ 1,028,651
Gross Unrealized Gain	28	24
Gross Unrealized Loss	(6,351)	(17,897)
Fair Value	1,134,824	1,010,778
Level 1 | Money Market Funds
Schedule of Available for Sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	117,909	107,439
Fair Value	117,909	107,439
Level 2 | Commercial Paper
Schedule of Available for Sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	96,229	104,231
Fair Value	96,229	104,231
Level 2 | U.S. Government and Agency Securities
Schedule of Available for Sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	791,085	620,660
Gross Unrealized Gain	28	24
Gross Unrealized Loss	(3,163)	(10,234)
Fair Value	787,950	610,450
Level 2 | Corporate Notes and Bonds
Schedule of Available for Sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	135,924	196,321
Gross Unrealized Loss	(3,188)	(7,663)
Fair Value	$ 132,736	$ 188,658

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Fair Value Measurement - Summary of Gross Unrealized Losses and Fair Value for Marketable Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale [Line Items]
Gross unrealized loss less than 12 consecutive months	$ (76)	$ (782)
Fair value less than 12 consecutive months	303,624	249,632
Gross unrealized loss 12 consecutive months or longer	(6,275)	(17,115)
Fair value 12 consecutive months or longer	251,709	506,590
Total gross unrealized loss	(6,351)	(17,897)
Total fair value	555,333	756,222
US Government and Agency Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale [Line Items]
Gross unrealized loss less than 12 consecutive months	(75)	(521)
Fair value less than 12 consecutive months	301,624	231,047
Gross unrealized loss 12 consecutive months or longer	(3,088)	(9,713)
Fair value 12 consecutive months or longer	120,974	336,517
Total gross unrealized loss	(3,163)	(10,234)
Total fair value	422,598	567,564
Corporate Notes and Bonds
Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale [Line Items]
Gross unrealized loss less than 12 consecutive months	(1)	(261)
Fair value less than 12 consecutive months	2,000	18,585
Gross unrealized loss 12 consecutive months or longer	(3,187)	(7,402)
Fair value 12 consecutive months or longer	130,735	170,073
Total gross unrealized loss	(3,188)	(7,663)
Total fair value	$ 132,735	$ 188,658

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Fair Value Measurement - Summary of Estimated Amortized Cost and Fair Value of Available-for-Sale Securities by Contractual Maturity (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Amortized Cost, Due within one year	$ 1,133,605
Amortized Cost, Due after one year and through five years	7,542
Total Amortized Cost	1,141,147
Fair Value, Due within one year	1,127,585
Fair Value, Due after one year and through five years	7,239
Total Fair Value	$ 1,134,824

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Balance Sheet Components - Schedule of Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 418,902	$ 365,959
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(96,999)	(70,025)
Property and equipment, net	321,903	295,934
Computer Equipment, Hardware, and Software
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	7,191	6,784
Furniture and Fixtures
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	77,515	57,771
Leasehold Improvements
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	86,872	72,201
Machinery and Equipment
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	148,676	120,618
Construction in Progress
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 98,648	$ 108,585

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Balance Sheet Components - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment	$ 11.2	$ 8.0	$ 30.0	$ 18.3

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Balance Sheet Components - Schedule of Other Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Long-term advance payments	$ 2,515	$ 2,615
Asset retirement obligation	9,196	5,873
Other liabilities	$ 11,711	$ 8,488

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Leases - Additional Information (Details) - RenewalOption	1 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Apr. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2023
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease expiration, year				2032
Operating lease extension expiration, month and year	2032-09	2032-09	2032-09
Operating lease, renewal term		5 years
Finance lease, existence of option to extend	true		true
Finance lease, renewal term			5 years
Number of finance lease renewal options			2
Finance lease, option to extend	10-year
Lessee, operating lease, lease not yet commenced, description				The November 2021 leases commenced in November 2021, January 2022, and April 2022 and were classified as operating leases. The additional 10-year extension period has not been included in the calculation of the lease liability and right-of-use asset at the lease inception as the exercise of the option was not reasonably certain.

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Leases - Summary of Lease Related Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Finance lease costs:
Amortization of right-of-use assets- finance lease	$ 718	$ 718	$ 2,155	$ 2,155
Interest on lease liabilities	593	600	1,795	1,807
Operating lease costs	2,253	2,310	6,795	6,568
Variable lease costs	695	620	3,065	1,753
Total lease expense	$ 4,259	$ 4,248	$ 13,810	$ 12,283

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Leases - Summary of Supplemental Cash Flow Information Related to Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Leases [Abstract]
Operating outgoing cash flows - finance lease	$ 1,195	$ 1,207
Financing outgoing cash flows - finance lease	1,290	809
Operating outgoing cash flows - operating lease	$ 5,224	2,572
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities		$ 28,845

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Leases - Summary of Additional Information for Lease (Details)	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Finance lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - finance lease (in years)	9 years	9 years 9 months 18 days
Weighted-average discount rate - finance lease	6.06%	6.06%
Operating lease
Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating lease (in years)	8 years 10 months 24 days	9 years 7 months 6 days
Weighted-average discount rate - operating lease	6.36%	6.36%

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Leases - Summary of Future Minimum Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2023 (remaining three months)	$ 2,203
2024	8,833
2025	9,047
2026	9,021
2027	9,135
2028	9,404
Thereafter	36,965
Total	84,608
Less present value discount	(20,841)
Lease liabilities	63,767
2023 (remaining three months)	1,265
2024	5,131
2025	5,272
2026	5,417
2027	5,566
2028	5,719
Thereafter	22,345
Total	50,715
Less present value discount	(12,027)
Lease liabilities	$ 38,688

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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Details)		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 07, 2022 Suit	Feb. 28, 2021 OfficerDirector Suit	Sep. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Number of shareholder derivative suit filed | Suit	4	2
Number of officers and directors in shareholder derivative suit | OfficerDirector		11
Other commitments, description			The Company's minimum purchase commitments consist of non-cancellable agreements to purchase goods and services, primarily for materials, and licenses and hosting services, entered into in the ordinary course of business.

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Commitments and Contingencies - Schedule of Future Minimum Purchase Commitments (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Minimum purchase commitments, 2023 (remaining three months)	$ 1,170
Minimum purchase commitments, 2024	4,194
Minimum purchase commitments, 2025	4,309
Minimum purchase commitments, 2026	2,142
Minimum purchase commitments, 2027	1,418
Minimum purchase commitments, Total	$ 13,233

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Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Details)	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2023 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2021 Tranche	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) Tranche $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2021 shares	Feb. 28, 2023 USD ($)
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares authorized | shares				1,350,000,000		1,350,000,000		1,350,000,000
Common stock, authorized | shares				1,250,000,000		1,250,000,000		1,250,000,000
Preferred stock, authorized | shares				100,000,000		100,000,000		100,000,000
Preferred stock, par value | $ / shares				$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Common stock voting rights, description						The holder of each share of Class A Common Stock is entitled to one vote, and the holder of each share of Class B Common Stock is entitled to ten votes.
Proceeds from common stock						$ 288,431,000
Options vesting period						4 years
Granted stock option | shares						0	0
Aggregate intrinsic value						$ 46,300,000	$ 38,100,000
Stock-based compensation unvested stock options not yet recognized				$ 3,100,000		$ 3,100,000
Expected to be recognized estimated weighted average period						1 year 6 months
Stock-based compensation expense				40,391,000	$ 33,578,000	$ 128,373,000	92,985,000
Additional paid-in-capital				4,184,840,000		$ 4,184,840,000		$ 3,771,181,000
Restricted Stock Unit
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Expected to be recognized estimated weighted average period						2 years 8 months 12 days
Fair value of stock units vested						$ 53,300,000	53,300,000
Unrecognized compensation costs				230,300,000		$ 230,300,000
Restricted stock units granted | shares						16,013,000
Performance Stock Unit
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Expected to be recognized estimated weighted average period						1 year 3 months 18 days
Unrecognized compensation costs				19,600,000		$ 19,600,000
Restricted stock units granted | shares						4,454,000
Stock-based compensation expense				4,000,000		$ 11,400,000
EPA
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Options vesting period						10 years
Granted stock option | shares								16,000,000
Expected to be recognized estimated weighted average period						3 years 3 months 18 days
Unrecognized compensation costs				34,800,000		$ 34,800,000
Number of tranches | Tranche		5				5
Business milestones description						The compensation committee of the Board selected the following eleven business milestones for the EPA Program, of which one milestone must be achieved for each Tranche.•Delivery of an A-sample battery cell that meets specifications agreed upon with an automaker•The validation by an auto maker of a completed B-sample battery cell (a B-sample battery cell is a functional, complete battery cell prototype produced from our pre-pilot or sample production line)•Delivery of at least 1-gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery cells to a single customer•Delivery of at least 3-gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery cells to each of three or more customers, with at least one of such customer being an auto maker•$5 billion in GAAP revenue over a period of trailing four quarters•$10 billion in GAAP revenue over a period of trailing four quarters•Total cumulative battery cell production of 500 GWh•Total cumulative battery cell production of 1,000 GWh•Adjusted EBITDA margin of at least 25% over four consecutive quarters•10% of worldwide market share in automotive battery cells (excluding China)•20% of worldwide market share in automotive battery cells (excluding China)
Stock price targets description						To meet the stock price targets, the stock price must be sustained and not merely momentarily achieved. Except in the case of a change in control, the Company’s stock price for the purposes of assessing the stock price target will be the 120-day trailing average closing price (based on trading days), but a stock price target will not be achieved unless the trailing average closing price of the last 30 trading days of such 120-trading day period also meets or exceeds the applicable stock price target. For a stock price target for any given Tranche to be achieved, the last day of the 120-day measurement period must occur on or after the date that the requisite number of business milestones have been achieved for such Tranche.
Number of tranches achieved business milestone. | Tranche						1
Number of tranches considered probable | Tranche						1
Stock-based compensation expense				5,300,000	$ 12,100,000	$ 23,700,000	$ 37,700,000
EPA | Tranche 1
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock price targets						60
EPA | Tranche 2
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock price targets						120
EPA | Tranche 3
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock price targets						180
EPA | Tranche 4
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock price targets						240
EPA | Tranche 5
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock price targets						300
EPA | Milestones Currently, Not Probable of Achievement
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation costs				$ 168,000,000		$ 168,000,000
2020 Equity Incentive Award Plan
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Business combination exchange ratio						4.0217501492
2020 Equity Incentive Award Plan | Performance Stock Unit
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Restricted stock units granted | shares						4,000,000
2023 Bonus Plan
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Restricted stock units granted and vested | shares				423,000
Stock-based compensation expense				$ 4,500,000		$ 15,700,000
Additional paid-in-capital				$ 2,900,000		2,900,000
2023 Bonus Plan | Performance Stock Unit
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Fair value of stock units vested						$ 2,900,000
Maximum | Restricted Stock Unit
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Options vesting period						4 years
ATM offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Aggregate offering price										$ 400,000,000
Accrued Compensation and Benefits | 2023 Bonus Plan
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense						$ 12,800,000
Class A Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, authorized | shares				1,000,000,000		1,000,000,000		1,000,000,000
Common stock, par value | $ / shares				$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Common stock, issued | shares				429,571,000		429,571,000		358,505,000
Stock issuance costs				$ 11,800,000		$ 11,800,000
Class A Common Stock | EPA
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Granted stock option | shares								2,100,000	14,700,000
Class A Common Stock | 2020 Equity Incentive Award Plan
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock authorized for issuance | shares				84,813,924		84,813,924
Class A Common Stock | Maximum | 2020 Equity Incentive Award Plan
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock authorized for issuance | shares				69,846,580		69,846,580
Class A Common Stock | March 2021 Public Offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, issued | shares			11,960,000
Stock issuance costs			$ 15,500,000
Proceeds from common stock			$ 462,900,000
Class A Common Stock | August 2023 Public Offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, issued | shares	37,500,000
Stock issuance costs	$ 11,800,000
Proceeds from common stock	$ 288,200,000
Class A Common Stock | ATM offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Number of shares sold during period | shares				0		0
Class B Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, authorized | shares				250,000,000		250,000,000		250,000,000
Common stock, par value | $ / shares				$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Common stock, issued | shares				59,874,000		59,874,000		79,454,000

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Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Stock Option Activity (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) $ / shares shares		Dec. 31, 2022 $ / shares shares	[1]
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares) | shares	50,124	[1]
Cancelled and forfeited (in shares) | shares	(865)	[2]
Exercised (in shares) | shares	(6,396)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares) | shares	42,863		50,124
Vested and expected to vest at the end of the period (in shares) | shares	33,792	[3]
Vested and exercisable at the end of the period (in shares) | shares	26,478
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 8.65	[1]
Cancelled and forfeited (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	22.47	[2]
Exercised (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	1.27
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	9.47		$ 8.65
Vested and expected to vest (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	5.83	[3]
Vested and exercisable (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 1.95
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)	5 years 8 months 15 days		6 years 18 days
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years), vested and expected to vest	5 years 14 days	[3]
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years), vested and exercisable	4 years 2 months 23 days
Intrinsic value, balance at end of period | $	$ 127,886
Intrinsic value, vested and expected to vest at end of period | $	127,886	[3]
Intrinsic value, vested and exercisable at end of period | $	$ 125,572

[1] This includes 16.0 million options granted and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 pursuant to the EPA Program.

[2] This includes 0.8 million options under the EPA Program.

[3] This includes 6.0 million options granted pursuant to the EPA Program that are currently expected to vest. None of the options granted pursuant to the EPA Program were vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023.

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Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Stock Option Activity (Parenthetical) (Details) - shares		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2022
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Granted stock option		0	0
Options forfeited	[1]	865,000
Vested and expected to vest at the end of the period (in shares)	[2]	33,792,000
EPA
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Granted stock option				16,000,000
Options forfeited		800,000
Vested and expected to vest at the end of the period (in shares)		6,000,000

[1] This includes 0.8 million options under the EPA Program.

[2] This includes 6.0 million options granted pursuant to the EPA Program that are currently expected to vest. None of the options granted pursuant to the EPA Program were vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2023.

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Stockholders' Equity - Summary of Vesting Tranches (Details) - EPA	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)
Tranche 1
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Price Target	$ 60
Tranche 2
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Price Target	120
Tranche 3
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Price Target	180
Tranche 4
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Price Target	240
Tranche 5
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Price Target	$ 300

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Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Restricted Stock Units with Service Condition and Performance Stock Unit Activities (Details) shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023 $ / shares shares
Restricted Stock Unit
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of Units, Beginning Balance | shares	16,563
Number of Units, Granted | shares	16,013
Number of Units, Vested | shares	(6,842)
Number of Units, Forfeited | shares	(1,948)
Number of Units, Ending Balance | shares	23,786
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Beginning Balance | $ / shares	$ 13.79
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Granted | $ / shares	7.52
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Vested | $ / shares	11.06
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Forfeited | $ / shares	13.19
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Ending Balance | $ / shares	$ 10.43
Performance Stock Unit
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of Units, Granted | shares	4,454
Number of Units, Vested | shares	(423)
Number of Units, Forfeited | shares	(46)
Number of Units, Ending Balance | shares	3,985
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Granted | $ / shares	$ 7.68
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Vested | $ / shares	6.82
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Forfeited | $ / shares	7.87
Weighted Average grant date fair value, Ending Balance | $ / shares	$ 7.77

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Stockholders Equity - Schedule of Stock-based Compensation Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation expense	$ 40,391	$ 33,578	$ 128,373	$ 92,985
Research and Development
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation expense	23,977	17,233	71,390	45,255
General and Administrative
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation expense	$ 16,414	$ 16,345	$ 56,983	$ 47,730

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Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Summary of Basic and Diluted Loss per Share of Common Stock (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$ (110,617)	$ (117,660)	$ (331,785)	$ (302,841)
Denominator:
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Basic	471,752	434,051	452,503	431,654
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Diluted	471,752	434,051	452,503	431,654
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Basic	$ (0.23)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.73)	$ (0.7)
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Diluted	$ (0.23)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.73)	$ (0.7)
Common Class A and Class B Shares
Denominator:
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Basic	471,752	434,051	452,503	431,654
Weighted average Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding - Diluted	471,752	434,051	452,503	431,654
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Basic	$ (0.23)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.73)	$ (0.7)
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B Common stockholders - Diluted	$ (0.23)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.73)	$ (0.7)

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Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Summary of Potential Common Stock Outstanding Excluded from Computation of Diluted Net Loss Per Share (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive	73,708	64,988
Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive	42,863	48,610
RSUs
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive	23,786	16,378
PSUs
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive	7,059

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Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022
Joint Venture And Non Controlling Interest [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 250,824	$ 235,393	$ 297,960
QSV
Joint Venture And Non Controlling Interest [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,480	$ 3,395
VWGoA
Joint Venture And Non Controlling Interest [Line Items]
Proceed from Series F preferred stock financings and business combination	$ 134,000

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Joint Venture and Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest - Schedule of Change in Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Joint Venture And Non Controlling Interest [Abstract]
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Beginning balance	$ 1,734	$ 1,684	$ 1,704	$ 1,693
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest in QSV	15	7	45	(2)
Redeemable Non-Controlling, Ending balance	$ 1,749	$ 1,691	$ 1,749	$ 1,691