Volkswagen aims to revolutionise the electric vehicle world with the help of quantum computers

That electric vehicles are capturing the attention of the markets is undeniable but, even so, they still have a long way to go. Volkswagen, aware of the wide margin for improvement that electric vehicles have, has wanted to get ahead of its main competitors thanks to the help of quantum computers. The German firm is in the middle of developing molecules that could be used in the future not only to develop the batteries of electric models, but also to make them tailored to the needs of each vehicle and customer.

To do so, the participation of a quantum computer has been essential, since Volkswagen is relying on them to obtain an even more extraordinary foundation. At first, its work has focused on developing the lithium-hydrogen molecule and carbon chains, but the brand has not sat idly by and is already moving towards more complex chemical compounds.

The goal of Volkswagen is to create the chemical structure of a complete electric battery on a quantum computer, and thus bring to life made-to-measure batteries. Completing this task is essential for the German firm, since behind it lies the key to offering high-performance batteries, which will be capable of taking the electric vehicle to the next level.

Volkswagen is using different algorithms that it recently developed, which could serve to lay the foundations of the ideal chemical structure to bring high-performance batteries to life. In the future, the German brand could find the algorithm needed to simulate the chemical composition of a battery based on a variety of criteria such as weight reduction, maximum power density or cell assembly, and generate a design that could be used directly for production.

“We are working hard to develop the potential of quantum computing for Volkswagen. In this context, the simulation of electrochemical materials is an important project. In this area, we are carrying out pioneering work. We are convinced that the commercial availability of quantum computers will open up opportunities that were previously unthinkable. We intend to acquire the specialised knowledge we need for this from now on.” said Florian Neukart, Principal Scientist at Volkswagen’s CODE Lab in San Francisco.

Volkswagen has an arduous task ahead but, thanks to the collaboration between the engineers in San Francisco and Munich, the firm is on the right path to achieve its goal. At the same time, the presence of quantum computers is proving key, since from them certain molecules can be generated that are destined to revolutionise the automotive world.