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This should be a window of widening opportunity and optimism for the Republicans chasing Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential race.

Instead, this is a time of mounting uncertainty and unease.

Rather than undermine Trumps campaign, his indictment last week for mishandling classified documents has underscored how narrow a path is available for the candidates hoping to deny him the nomination. What should have been a moment of political danger for Trump instead has become another stage for him to demonstrate his dominance within the party. Almost all GOP leaders have reflexively snapped to his defense, and polls show that most Republican voters accept his vitriolic claims to be the victim of a politicized and illegitimate prosecution.

As GOP partisans rally around him amid the proliferating legal threats, recent national surveys have routinely found Trump attracting support from more than 50 percent of primary voters. Very few primary candidates in either party have ever drawn that much support in polls this early in the calendar. In an equally revealing measure of his strength, the choice by most of the candidates running against Trump to echo his attacks on the indictment shows how little appetite even they believe exists within the party coalition for a full-on confrontation with him.

The conundrum for Republicans is that polls measuring public reaction to Trumps legal difficulties have also found that outside the Republican coalition, a significant majority of voters are disturbed by the allegations accumulating against him. Beyond the GOP base, most voters have said in polls that they believe his handling of classified material has created a national-security risk and that he should not serve as president again if hes convicted of a crime. Such negative responses from the broader electorate suggest that Trumps legal challenges are weakening him as a potential general-election candidate even as they strengthen him in the primary. Its as if Republican leaders and voters can see a tornado on the horizonand are flooring the gas pedal to reach it faster.

This far away from the first caucuses and primaries next winterand about two months from the first debate in Augustthe other candidates correctly argue that its too soon to declare Trump unbeatable for the nomination.

Republicans skeptical of Trump hold out hope that GOP voters will grow weary from the cumulative weight of the multiple legal proceedings converging on him. And he still faces potential federal and Fulton County Georgia charges over his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Republican voters are going to start asking who else is out there, who has a cleaner record, and who is not going to have the constant political volleying going on in the background of their campaign, Dave Wilson, a prominent Republican and social-conservative activist in South Carolina, told me. They are looking for someone they can rally behind, because Republicans really want to defeat Joe Biden.

Scott Reed was the campaign manager in 1996 for Bob Doles presidential campaign and is now a co-chair of Committed to America, a super PAC supporting Mike Pence. Reed told me he also believes that time is Trumps enemy as his legal troubles persist. The belief in GOP circles that the Department of Justice is totally out of control offers Trump an important shield among primary voters, Reed said. But he believes that as the details about Trumps handling of classified documents in the latest indictment sink in his support is going to begin to erode. And as more indictments possibly accumulate, Reed added, I think the repetition of these proceedings will wear him down.

Yet other strategists say that the response so far among both GOP voters and elected officials raises doubts about whether any legal setback can undermine Trumps position. (The partys bottomless willingness throughout his presidency to defend actions that previously had appeared indefensible, of course, points toward the same conclusion.) The veteran GOP pollster Whit Ayres has divided the GOP electorate into three categories: about 10 percent that is never Trump, about 35 percent that is immovably committed to him, and about half that he describes as maybe Trump, who are generally sympathetic to the former president and supportive of his policies but uneasy about some of his personal actions and open to an alternative.

Those maybe Trump voters are the key to any coalition that can beat him in the primary race, Ayres told me, but as the polls demonstrate, they flock to his side when hes under attack. Many of them had conflict with siblings, with parents, sometimes with children, sometimes even with spouses, about their support for Donald Trump, Ayres said. And they are very defensive about it. That makes them instinctively rally to Donald Trumps defense, because if they suggest in any way that he is not fit for office, then that casts aspersions on their own past support for him.

This reflex helps explain the paradoxical dynamic of Trumps position having improved in the GOP race since his first indictment in early April. A national CBS survey conducted after last weeks federal indictment found his support in the primary soaring past 60 percent for the first time, with three-fourths of Republican voters dismissing the charges as politically motivated and four-fifths saying he should serve as president even if convicted in the case.

The Republicans dubious of Trump focus more on the evidence in the same surveys that voters outside the GOP base are, predictably, disturbed by the behavior alleged in the multiplying cases against him. Trump argues that Democrats are concocting these allegations because they fear him more than any other Republican candidate, but Wilson accurately pointed out that many Democrats believe Trump has been so damaged since 2020 that he might be the easiest GOP nominee to beat. I dont think Democrats really want someone other than Trump, Wilson said. Privately, in my conversations with them, plenty of Democratic strategists agree.

Ayres believes that evidence of the resistance to Trump in the wider electorate may eventually cause more GOP voters to think twice about nominating him. Polls have usually found that most Republican voters say agreement on issues is more important for them in choosing a nominee than electability. But Ayres said that in focus groups hes conducted, maybe Trump voters do spontaneously raise concerns about whether Trump can win again given everything thats happened since Election Day, including the January 6 insurrection. Traditionally an electability argument is ineffective in primaries, Ayres said. The way the dynamic usually works is I like Candidate X, therefore Candidate X has the best chance to win. The question is whether the electability argument is more potent in this situation than it was formerly and the only answer to that is: We will find out. One early measure suggests that, for now, the answer remains no. In the new CBS poll, Republicans were more bullish on Trumps chances of winning next year than on any other candidates.

Read: Will Trump get a speedy trial?

Another reason the legal proceedings havent hurt Trump more is that his rivals have been so reluctant to challenge him over his actionsor even to make the argument that multiple criminal trials would weaken him as a general-election candidate. But there are some signs that this may be changing: Pence, Nikki Haley, and Tim Scott this week somewhat criticized his behavior, though they were careful to also endorse the former presidents core message that the most recent indictment is illegitimate and politically motivated. Some strategists working in the race believe that by the first Republican debate in August, the other candidates will have assailed Trumps handling of the classified documents more explicitly than they are now.

Still, Trumps fortifications inside the party remain formidable against even a more direct assault. Jim McLaughlin, a pollster for Trumps campaign, points out tht 85 to 90 percent of Republicans approve of his record as president. In 2016, Trump didnt win an absolute majority of the vote in any contest until his home state of New York, after he had effectively clinched the nomination; now hes routinely drawing majority support in polls.

In those new national polls, Trump is consistently attracting about 35 to 40 percent of Republican voters with a four-year college degree or more, roughly the same limited portion he drew in 2016. But multiple recent surveys have found him winning about 60 percent of Republican voters without a college degree, considerably more than he did in 2016.

McLaughlin maintains that Trumps bond with non-college-educated white voters in a GOP primary is as deep as Bill Clintons connection with Black voters was when he won the Democratic primaries a generation ago. Ayres, though no fan of Trump, agrees that the numbers hes posting among Republicans without a college degree are breathtaking. That strength may benefit Trump even more than in 2016, because polling indicates that those non-college-educated white voters will make up an even bigger share of the total GOP vote next year, as Trump has attracted more of them into the party and driven out more of the suburban white-collar white voters most skeptical of him.

But if Trump looks stronger inside the GOP than he was in 2016, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may also present a more formidable challenger than Trump faced seven years ago. On paper, DeSantis has more potential than any of the 2016 contenders to attract the moderate and college-educated voters most dubious of Trump and peel away some of the right-leaning maybe Trump voters who like his policies but not his behavior. The optimistic way of looking at Trumps imposing poll numbers, some GOP strategists opposed to him told me, is that hes functionally the incumbent in the race and still about half of primary voters remain reluctant to back him. That gives DeSantis an audience to work with.

In practice, though, DeSantis has struggled to find his footing. DeSantiss choice to run at Trump primarily from his right has so far produced few apparent benefits for him. DeSantiss positioning has caused some donors and strategists to question whether he would be any more viable in a general election, but it has not yet shown signs of siphoning away conservative voters from Trump. Still, the fact that DeSantiss favorability among Republicans has remained quite high amid the barrage of attacks from Trump suggests that if GOP voters ultimately decide that Trump is too damaged, the Florida governor could remain an attractive fallback option for them.

Whether DeSantis or someone else emerges as the principal challenger, the size of Trumps advantage underscores how crucial it will be to trip him early. Like earlier front-runners in both parties, Trumps greatest risk may be that another candidate upsets him in one of the traditional first contests of Iowa and New Hampshire. Throughout the history of both parties nomination contests, such a surprise defeat has tended to reset the race most powerfully when the front-runner looks the most formidable, as Trump does now. If Trump is not stopped in Iowa or New Hampshire, he will roll to the nomination, Reed said.

Even if someone beats Trump in one of those early contests, though, history suggests that they will still have their work cut out for them. In every seriously contested Republican primary since 1980, the front-runner as the voting began has been beaten in either Iowa or New Hampshire. That unexpected defeat has usually exposed the early leader to a more difficult and unpredictable race than he expected. But the daunting precedent for Trumps rivals is that all those front-runnersfrom Ronald Reagan in 1980 to George W. Bush in 2000 to Trump himself in 2016recovered to eventually win the nomination. In his time as a national figure, Trump has shattered a seemingly endless list of political traditions. But to beat him next year, his GOP rivals will need to shatter a precedent of their own.

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The evidence that Russia sanctions evasion has intensified

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1 hour ago

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June 24, 2025

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The evidence that Russia sanctions evasion has intensified

For more than a year, we have been tracking the flow of sanctioned items out of the UK and towards Russia.

Electronic equipment, radar parts, components used to make aircraft and drones. These are all items that have been banned from going to Russia. For good reason: while Britain is far from a global manufacturing powerhouse, it nonetheless still makes certain prized components used to make machinery.

In some hands, these components could be used for peaceful purposes, but they could also be used to wage war. All of which is why they are among the items sanctioned by G7 nations and banned from entry to Russia.

Conway1

A glance at the trade figures might lull you into thinking those sanctions have been extraordinarily successful. Look at the flows of these so-called “dual use” goods from the UK to Russia and they drop to zero shortly after the invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of those export bans. But that’s not the whole story – because over precisely the same period, exports of those same items to countries neighbouring Russia have risen sharply.

At this point, the data trail goes cold. As far as the statistics tell us, those components stay in the Caucasus and Central Asia. But there are two powerful pieces of evidence that suggest otherwise. The first is that we have travelled out to the border of Russia and filmed European-sanctioned goods (in this case cars, the hardest of all goods to disguise) passing across the border.

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Zelenskyy: Sanctions needed as countries supplying missile components to Russia

The second is that Ukrainian forces have repeatedly found weaponry and equipment containing European and British components inside them on the battlefield in their country. British technology has been used to kill Ukrainians – in spite of sanctions. That was one of the messages President Volodymyr Zelenskyy relayed in his interview with my colleague Mark Austin.

So, in the wake of that interview, we revisited the databases to see if those flows of goods to Russian neighbours had slowed in recent months.

Conway2

But, far from slowing, they’ve accelerated. In the past nine months, the flow of dual-use goods to Russian neighbours has risen by an average of 9%, compared with the monthly average between the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and last June. Those flows are 111% higher than they were before the invasion.

Read more:
Analysis: Reasons for rhetoric from Russia
Western brands remain on Russian shelves
Putin says ‘Ukraine is ours’

Conway3

Nor are the flows of British goods to Russian neighbours the only trend suggesting these components are being trans-shipped via third countries. Look at exports of sanctioned items to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey and they are up by a similar proportion.

In short: the evasion of sanctions continues much as it has done since the beginning of the war. For all the talk about the toughest sanctions regime in history, the reality on the ground is somewhat different.

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Early Prime Day Sales with up to 65% savings from Jackery + Anker SOLIX, EcoFlow dual expansion batteries $2,899 off, more

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June 24, 2025

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Early Prime Day Sales with up to 65% savings from Jackery + Anker SOLIX, EcoFlow dual expansion batteries ,899 off, more

Today’s Green Deals are jam-packed with power station savings, led by Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale that is taking up to 65% off power stations with some extra ways to save too. Among the lineup, we spotted the brand’s Explorer 2000 Plus Solar Generator Bundle with two 200W panels down at $1,709. Right behind it we have the first round of Anker’s SOLIX early Prime Day flash sales, with options like the C300 AC 90,000mAh Power Station getting a 100W solar panel at a new $369 low, among larger units. Next, there’s EcoFlow’s first early Prime Day flash sale that has two DELTA Pro Smart Extra Batteries together at $2,699, as well as a WAVE 3 portable AC/heater bundle too. Among our electric lawn care solutions today is the Greenworks 40V 17-inch​ Cordless Push Lawn Mower at a new $230 low, as well as Worx’s Nitro 40V 15-inch Cordless String Trimmer with Dual-Exit Bump Feed Head, two 4.0Ah batteries, and a dual-port charger at its $190 low. Plus, there’s all the rest of the hangover Green Deals in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s full EcoFlow early Prime Day Sale lineup, Lectric’s 4th of July e-bike sale, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Get up to 65% off Jackery power stations in early Prime Day Sale access with bonus + trade-in savings, more from $89

Jackery has launched its early Prime Day Sale pricing through July 7, with up to 65% being taken off power stations, alongside extra sitewide savings, trade-in savings, flash sales, and select member-only discounts. Among the lineup, one of the best and most expansive solar generator bundles is Jackery’s Explorer 2000 Plus Power Station with two 200W panels at $1,709.05 shipped, after using the promo code EXTRA5 at checkout for an additional 5% off. Normally you’d be shelling out $3,099 for this package at full price, which we mostly see brought down to $1,899 during sales these days, though it did fall lower to $1,799 in the earlier months of 2025. We have seen this bundle go as low as $1,673 with extra savings in a 3-day flash sale back in February, but it hasn’t come back around since, with the deal here landing as the second-lowest price we have tracked, saving you $1,390 and beating its Amazon pricing by $190.

As this is Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale, there are some additional savings options that are worth mentioning while the event continues. First off, the code EXTRA5 can be used at checkout to score an additional 5% savings on your order, with some models even offering larger on-page 7% off coupons. There’s also a trade-in offer that can give you up to $830 off a new model after trading in your old one, and special pricing on select units for members (sign up is free).

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One of Jackery’s most expansive backup power solutions, which only bows down to the new Explorer 5000 Plus, the Explorer 2000 Plus is a great option to cover camping needs, outdoor events, and home backup, starting at a 2,042Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity. That capacity can be boosted to 12,000Wh with five expansion batteries connected, while pairing two of these fully expanded setups together takes things to their maximum 24,000Wh levels. The station delivers up to 3,000W of steady output power through 10 port options, while the dual-expanded setups go higher at up to 6,000W of power.

The battery can be recharged to full in just two hours through a wall outlet, or it will take the same timeframe to get it back to full when connecting its maximum 1,200W solar input (not accounting for expanded setups), and a third option to connect to your car’s auxiliary port. You’ll get all the remote smart controls you’d expect through its companion app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

***Note: the additional 5% and on-page 7% discounts have not been factored into the pricing below, so be sure to use the code EXTRA5 at checkout (or EXTRA7 where applicable) for the maximum savings!

Jackery’s current early Prime Day Sale flash offers (ends June 25):

Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale appliance backup deals:

Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale home backup deals:

Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale outdoor adventure deals:

Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale add-on deals:

Jackery’s transfer switch deals:

You can browse the entirety of Jackery’s early Prime Day Sale on the landing page here. 

Anker SOLIX power stations

Anker SOLIX early Prime Day flash sales drop C300 AC 90,000mAh 100W solar bundle to a new $369 low

Anker SOLIX is beginning its early Prime Day events with two limited-stock flash sale periods – first through June 26, then through June 29. Among the first round of offers we’re seeing, things start lowest with the C300 AC 90,000mAh Portable Power Station that comes with a 100W solar panel for $369 shipped. This newer bundle normally goes for $669 in full, with it only available directly from the brand’s website here, as other marketplaces like Amazon only offer the 60W panel bundle. We’ve seen this package go as low as $399 previously, which is getting beaten out by the 45% markdown during this sale, giving you $300 in total savings at a new all-time low price. Head below to check out the other units getting discounts during these flash sales.

A great option for folks who want a more compact backup power solution that they can easily carry along while stowed inside a bag, the 9-pound Anker SOLIX C300 AC power station keeps your personal devices running with a 90,000mAh LiFePO4 capacity. Unlike its DC counterpart, which leans more in favor of USB ports, this model has three AC outlets on top of the three USB-Cs, the solo USB-A, and a car port. It provides a steady power output of up to 300W, with things surging to 600W for larger power needs.

There’s a bunch of ways to recharge its battery too, with the obvious one from this bundle being the 100W solar panel, though it can also utilize a standard wall outlet, a car port, or through the PD 3.1 USB-C port. Its design is especially tailored for campers and outdoor adventures, as there is an integrated carrying handle (alongside hooks to attach a shoulder strap), as well as the integrated light bar that sits above its front-facing display screen.

Anker’s other SOLIX early Prime Day flash offers (through June 26):

You can browse the entirety of Anker’s SOLIX early Prime Day flash sale offers on the landing page here.

DELTA Pro Smart Extra Battery

Expand your EcoFlow DELTA Pro setup with two expansion batteries at $2,699 in flash savings ($2,899 off)

As part of its ongoing early Prime Day Sale through July 7, EcoFlow has launched the first of its scheduled flash sales, with two offers to upgrade your outdoor adventures. The first of these deals gives you two DELTA Pro Smart Extra Batteries for $2,699 shipped. This add-on bundle carries a $5,598 MSRP, but for the rest of the day you’ll benefit from the 52% markdown here to upgrade your DELTA Pro setup with $2,899 in savings. Considering that the lowest we’ve seen one battery go for was $1,399 during Black Friday and Christmas sales, this deal saves you $99 off buying two separately at those lowest rates, making this the best chance we have tracked to significantly expand your backup power support. It’s beating out Amazon by much more right now, where one unit is priced at $1,599, which comes in at $249.50 above the cost of each in this bundle.

If you’ve been wanting to expand your DELTA Pro setup beyond just the station, or further bolster things for greater backup power support inside or outside of the home, this DELTA Pro expansion battery bundle is certainly the best chance we’ve seen yet. Each of the batteries adds 3,600Wh to your overall capacity, giving you 10,800Wh should you currently only have the station, and helping to push you closer to its maximum 25kWh.

The second of these flash offers comes through the brand’s official Amazon storefront, giving you the new WAVE 3 Portable AC/Heater with an add-on battery and a free bag for the unit at $1,399 shipped, down from $2,299. This setup gives you mobile AC and heating for your tent, car, camper, or any other enclosed space, with the brand claiming it to “drop temperatures by 15 degrees in 15 minutes” or “warming a space by 17 degrees in 15 minutes.” There are plenty of smart controls via the app, like the new PetCare feature that automatically starts cooling when temperatures hit 77 degrees, among others.

Be sure to check out EcoFlow’s early Prime Day Sale offers in our original coverage here, which features 60% initial discounts, bonus savings, free gear, installation subsidies on select units, member benefits, and more.

Greenworks 40V 17-inch cordless push lawn mower

Cut, collect, and/or mulch clippings with this Greenworks 40V 17-inch cordless push mower at new $230 low

Amazon is offering the new Greenworks 40V 17-inch​ Cordless Push Lawn Mower with 4.0Ah battery at $229.99 shipped, which beats the brand’s direct website pricing by $18. This model hit the scene back at the top of the year carrying a $310 price tag in full, which we’ve only seen brought down as low as $232 at Amazon. All the rates we’ve tracked before are getting beaten out now by the 26% markdown here, which cuts $80 off the tag to land at a new all-time low price.

Perfect for first-time homeowners or for anyone looking for a budget-friendly means to replace their noisy gas-guzzlers, this 40V cordless lawn mower from Greenworks comes with a durable 17-inch steel deck that still retains a lighter weight for more effortless maneuvering around your yard. It comes with six different cutting height levels ranging from 1-1/4 inches to 3-3/8 inches, as well as 2-in-1 functionality to either collect clippings in the bag or mulch it all for your flowerbeds. It comes with a push-button start, as well as foldable handles to make storage all the easier.

If you’re looking to stock up on the brand’s commercial-grade lawn care solutions, you can find the 82V 760 CFM Cordless Axial Leaf Blower bundle with two 82V Bluetooth 4.0Ah batteries and a dual-port rapid charger down at a new $300 low (50% off), as well as the 82V 18-inch Commercial-Grade Cordless Chainsaw that comes with 4.0Ah and 2.5Ah batteries and a dual-port rapid charger at a new $400 low.

Worx Nitro 40V 15-inch Cordless String Trimmer

Control the length of line up to a 15-inch cutting swath with this 40V Worx Nitro cordless trimmer kit at $190 low

Amazon is offering the Worx Nitro 40V 15-inch Cordless String Trimmer with Dual-Exit Bump Feed Head, two 4.0Ah batteries, and a dual-port charger for $189.99 shipped. Normally, this trimmer package would run you $270 at full price, which we’ve previously seen brought down as low as $200 before this month. Today’s deal gives folks a second shot at the best price we have tracked, saving you $80 on a more advanced trimmer while also getting double the power supply.

A more advanced trimming and weed whacking solution, this Worx Nitro 40V string trimmer features a dual-exit bump feed head that can extend the line out to a 15-inch max cutting swath with a simple tap on the ground. What’s more, loading in more lines is quick and easy to save you time, with there also being a variable speed control to dial up or dial back speeds depending on the job at hand. It only weighs 9.42 pounds in total, making it easy to use for folks of all sizes. The two included batteries also give you double the runtime while being interchangeable with 140+ other tools in the brand’s PowerShare ecosystem.

Best Spring EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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QuantumScape has integrated its ‘Cobra’ process, reducing solid-state production time tenfold

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2 hours ago

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June 24, 2025

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QuantumScape has integrated its 'Cobra' process, reducing solid-state production time tenfold

QuantumScape production

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape shared another exciting milestone today: integrating its long-developed “Cobra” solid-state separator manufacturing process into its baseline production. This step technology significantly reduces the overall footprint and production time of QuantumScape’s proprietary solid-state cells, setting the stage for commercialized production.

Much of our QuantumScape updates the past couple of years have pertained to the progress of its QSE-5 solid-state sample cells (because, let’s face it, that’s the most exciting stuff). However, some of QuantumScape’s production techniques are just as innovative as its cell technology.

In many ways, QuantumScape’s cream of its solid-state crop is its assembly lines, especially since arguably the most challenging hurdle for bona fide solid-state battery integration is scaled production at a cost that OEMs will be willing to opt for over lithium cells, which also won’t bankrupt the company.

We’ve known of these plans since 2023, when QuantumScape shared two phases of its assembly line overhaul using a fast separator heat-treatment process – Raptor and Cobra.

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Raptor was completed two years ago and introduced a step-change process, allowing continuous flow heat treatment to process the separator films faster with less total heat energy. The next phase, “Cobra,” was expected to build off Raptor and add even faster processing, particularly in the cell’s ceramics. Per the solid-state battery developer, Cobra is a “potential game changer in scaled cell production.”

By early 2024, QuantumScape was beginning to gear up for high-volume production of its solid-state electrolyte separator using the “Cobra” equipment and process, and by last December, was ready for initial separator processing on the QS-0 assembly line for B-sample cells.

QuantumScape has confirmed that Cobra has been fully integrated into the company’s baseline production processes, achieving a 2025 goal while enabling gigawatt-level solid-state cell production.

Quantumscape solid-state
Source: QuantumScape

QuantumScape’s Cobra separator is production’s secret sauce’

“What’s so special about a solid-state separator process?” Well, a lot actually.

The QuantumScape team will be the first to tell you that its proprietary solid-state separator is the proverbial key that unlocks the startup’s leading and potentially industry-changing performance in energy density, charge times, battery life, safety, and cost.

We all know that solid-state battery technology has the potential to enable a paradigm shift in electric mobility, providing cars, planes, boats, and plenty of other vessels with cells that will enable them to travel farther than ever. This technology has often been deemed a “holy grail” for electric mobility and while some companies, including QuantumScape have developed viable solid-state cells, none have scaled to mass production yet.

As we’ve reported on many times in the past, QuantumScape remains a leader in the space as one of the companies that appears closest to achieving the feat, thanks to its aforementioned Raptor and now Cobra manufacturing processes.

Hence why today’s news is a big deal.

In addition to unlocking the potential for solid-state cell production itself, QuantumScape says Cobra is the core innovation that will allow the technology to be manufactured at a gigawatt-hour scale. This breakthrough is expected to lay the groundwork for higher-volume B1 sample production and the startup’s path to market.

Furthermore, the technology supports QuantumScape’s licensing model with Volkswagen Group, which was announced a year ago. In this model, contract manufacturing can potentially help avoid tariffs by transferring IP instead of physical goods, especially as battery demand continues to grow steadily despite geopolitical tensions.

Looking ahead, we will see how Cobra contributes to QuantumScape’s production progress in 2025, hoping to get a more concrete timeline on when its solid-state batteries could hit the EV market.

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