EV Batteries · News Basquevolt Puts a 402 Wh/kg Lithium-Metal Cell Into the Market The Spanish developer says its BQV400L cell is available now, uses an NMC cathode, lithium-metal anode, and hybrid polymer electrolyte, and can fit existing gigafactory equipment. By CurrentCells Staff • 8 min read AI-generated image Basquevolt is moving its fourth-generation lithium-metal technology from development language into a commercial cell offer. 402 Wh/kg Claimed gravimetric energy density 27 Ah Cell capacity 75% European component share cited by Basquevolt 8.9 C Pulse power capability claimed Basquevolt has introduced the BQV400L, a lithium-metal battery cell that the company says is available with immediate effect. The cell pairs an NMC cathode with a lithium-metal anode and a proprietary hybrid polymer electrolyte. The headline figure is 402 Wh/kg, a level that puts the product well above most commercial lithium-ion cells now used in electric vehicles. The launch matters because lithium-metal batteries have spent years sitting just beyond the edge of commercial readiness. The chemistry can store more energy because metallic lithium replaces the graphite anode used in conventional lithium-ion cells. That opens a path to lighter battery packs, longer range, or smaller packs with the same range. The catch is durability. Lithium-metal cells have a long record of dendrite growth, internal short risk, and short cycle life when lab progress moves toward real use. Basquevolt is trying to show that its version is ready for industrial customers, not only research partners. The company says the BQV400L is the fourth generation of its lithium-metal platform and the first to reach commercial maturity. It is also being validated by an independent battery testing laboratory, according to reporting from electrive. Duplication check CurrentCells has covered solid-state and lithium-metal themes through QuantumScape, Solid Power, Samsung SDI, and a broad solid-state explainer. The Firestore review found no Basquevolt article, no BQV400L coverage, and no Basquevolt company profile in the last 60 days. A commercial cell, but not quite a simple solid-state story Basquevolt was founded in 2022 in Spain's Basque Country with backing from the Basque Government and industrial names including Iberdrola, CIE Automotive, Enagas, EIT InnoEnergy, and CIC energiGUNE. The company describes itself as a developer of next-generation solid-state battery technology, but the BQV400L needs a more careful label. The cell uses a hybrid polymer electrolyte rather than a fully disclosed all-solid electrolyte. That distinction matters. Many companies use solid-state language to describe cells that remove some liquid electrolyte, change separator design, or combine polymer and other electrolyte systems. Those designs can still be meaningful, but they are not all the same product class. For automakers and aircraft developers, the question is not whether a cell earns a clean label. The question is whether it can pass safety, cycle-life, power, and manufacturing tests at scale. Basquevolt's published specifications suggest the company is aiming first at customers that value high energy density and high pulse power. The company has cited collaboration with automotive, aerospace, and aviation OEMs. That mix makes sense. Aviation and performance vehicles can justify more expensive cells if weight savings are large enough. Mainstream EVs need much tougher cost, warranty, and factory yield proof before switching chemistry. AI-generated image Lithium-metal cells still have to prove stable cycling, safety, and manufacturability before high energy density turns into high volume demand. The manufacturing claim may be as important as the energy density Basquevolt says the BQV400L is designed as a drop-in cell that can be produced using existing gigafactory infrastructure. That is the part automakers and cell manufacturers will study closely. A chemistry breakthrough that needs a new factory from the ground up is expensive, slow, and risky. A chemistry that can run through modified versions of existing lithium-ion lines has a much better chance of being tested by cautious industrial partners. Renault has already shown interest. In February, Renault's Ampere unit announced work with Basquevolt to accelerate development and validation of lithium-metal cells for future EVs. Renault said the combination of a polymer electrolyte and advanced anode could support compact, lightweight battery packs with better thermal stability and fast-charging capability. It also said the process could reduce capital investment per GWh and cut energy consumption per kWh produced, compared with a conventional gigafactory route. Those are still claims attached to development work, not proof of mass production. But they point to why European battery policy keeps circling around manufacturing compatibility. Europe does not only need better cells. It needs cell factories that can reach yield, cost, and quality targets before Asian incumbents pull further ahead. If Basquevolt can use European equipment, European components, and existing production architecture, the company becomes more relevant to the region's industrial plans. AI-generated image A cell that can use existing production infrastructure would lower one of the largest barriers facing new battery chemistries. Why 400 Wh/kg changes the pack conversation At the cell level, 402 Wh/kg is an eye-catching figure. Pack-level gains will be smaller because modules, cooling, containment, wiring, sensors, and structural hardware add weight. Even so, a cell above 400 Wh/kg can reshape pack design if it survives validation. Automakers could reduce pack size for the same driving range, add range without adding much mass, or reserve weight for stronger crash structures and thermal protection. The commercial impact depends on cycle life. A premium EV cell that loses capacity too quickly will not clear warranty screens, no matter how strong the launch data looks. The same problem is harder in aviation, where safety certification and operating profiles are unforgiving. Basquevolt has not yet published the full durability data that would let customers compare the BQV400L against mature high-nickel lithium-ion cells or emerging silicon-anode designs. That uncertainty does not make the launch irrelevant. It makes the next testing phase more important. A validated 400 Wh/kg European cell would give the continent another contender in a field now led by a short list of solid-state and lithium-metal developers. QuantumScape is shipping B-samples and building its licensing model. Solid Power is pushing sulfide electrolyte work with major partners. Samsung SDI is targeting all-solid-state batteries later in the decade. Basquevolt is now asking customers to evaluate a cell that is available today. AI-generated image Higher cell energy density can reduce pack weight, but production yield and warranty life decide whether automakers adopt it. Europe gets a needed battery win, with caveats European battery manufacturing has taken repeated hits over the past year, from Northvolt's collapse to slower EV demand and a tighter funding market for gigafactory plans. A Spanish company putting a high-density cell into commercial availability gives the region a better story than another subsidy debate or factory delay. The caveat is that battery history is full of promising cells that did not scale. Customers will want cycle-life curves, abuse testing, calendar aging data, low-temperature behavior, fast-charge performance, and cost assumptions. They will also want proof that Basquevolt can make cells consistently, not just produce standout batches. High energy density wins attention. Repeatable manufacturing wins purchase orders. For now, the BQV400L should be viewed as a serious commercialization step rather than a finished industry shift. It gives OEMs and industrial customers a European lithium-metal cell to test agai