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Where does QuantumScape source its components?
United States. Supply chain mapped to 12 inputs across 4 countries.
Federal screeningClean
No federal designation found. QuantumScape is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and the United States is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Is QuantumScape a Foreign Entity of Concern?
Upstream sourcing exposure
High54% weighted
4 in covered nations - 5 elevated, of 12 nodes.
Where inputs are mined and refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company -- see the federal list screening above.
Refining chokepoint
3 of 3 processing/refining steps in covered nations
Producer1
Component4
Processing / Refining3
Raw Material1
Mine / Extraction3
designated covered nation elevated no known factor not assessed
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Sourcing Concentration by Country
Covered NationAllied NationOther
Sourcing risk across the graph
Where each input is mined or refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company.
0
Designated (0%)
4
Covered nation (33%)
5
Elevated (42%)
3
No known factor (25%)
Legend
Node Types
Producer
Supplier
Component
Processing / Refining
Raw Material
Mine / Extraction
Logistics
Sourcing risk
Federally designated - named on a restricted-party list
Covered nation - sited in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
Elevated - documented concentration risk, no federal listing
No known risk factor - not a compliance clearance
Not assessed - no sourcing judgement was made
Relationships
Transformation - manufactures / assembles
Refining - midstream processing (FEOC chokepoint)
Supply handoff - supplies / sources from
Arrows point in the direction material flows (input to product).
Every mapped input in the QuantumScape supply chain
12 nodes, grouped by supply-chain tier. Sourcing risk describes where an input is mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for QuantumScape.
Producer (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuantumScapeSan Jose, California (Eagle Line pilot / Cobra separator baseline production) | United States | No known risk factor | Anode-free solid-state lithium-metal cell developer; licenses tech to partners (PowerCo/VW) rather than mass-manufacturing itself. |
Component (4)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid-State Cell AssemblySan Jose, California | United States | No known risk factor | Cell stack combines the ceramic separator, in-situ plated lithium-metal anode, and NMC cathode; assembled at San Jose and licensed for gigafactory scale-up. |
| Ceramic Solid Separator (LLZO garnet)San Jose, CA; commercialization partner Corning Incorporated (US) | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Al-doped LLZO garnet (Li7La3Zr2O12) separator. Assembly/scale-up is US-based, but upstream lanthanum/zirconium precursors carry China-refining exposure. |
| Lithium-Metal Anode (in-situ plated) | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | No manufactured graphite/silicon anode; lithium metal plates in situ during first charge. Lithium supply is China-refining dependent. |
| NMC Cathode Active Material | China | Covered nation | Cell uses conventional NMC cathode active material (cathode-agnostic; can shift to LFP/cobalt-free). CAM manufacturing is China-dominated. |
Processing and refining (3)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium Hydroxide/Carbonate Refining | China | Covered nation | ~70-73% of global lithium chemical refining occurs in China; battery-grade LiOH/Li2CO3 feed both the lithium-metal anode and NMC cathode. |
| Lanthanum Oxide Separation/Refining | China | Covered nation | China performs ~91% of global rare-earth separation/refining; Western lanthanum oxide capacity is nascent (Lynas Malaysia a limited exception). |
| Cobalt/Nickel Sulfate Refining (for NMC) | China | Covered nation | NMC precursor metals (nickel, cobalt, manganese) are largely refined into battery-grade sulfates in China before CAM synthesis. |
Raw material (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zirconium Oxide (from zircon) | Australia | Elevated sourcing risk | Zircon (ZrSiO4) reserves concentrated in Australia (~67%) and South Africa (~10%); mine-side allied, but chemical zirconia processing has significant China exposure. |
Mine and extraction (3)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spodumene Lithium MineHard-rock spodumene (e.g., Greenbushes region, Western Australia) | Australia | No known risk factor | Australia produces ~52% of global lithium as hard-rock spodumene concentrate; clean at the mine, but concentrate is predominantly shipped to China for refining. |
| Rare-Earth (Lanthanum-bearing) MineBastnaesite ore (e.g., Mountain Pass, California) / allied sources | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Lanthanum is a light-rare-earth co-product. Mining exists in US/Australia, but downstream separation is overwhelmingly China-routed. |
| Cobalt Mine | Democratic Republic Of Congo | Elevated sourcing risk | DRC supplies the majority of mined cobalt for NMC; many DRC operations are China-owned/offtaken, so provenance is often China-linked. |
Material flow (13 relationships)
- QuantumScape manufactures Solid-State Cell Assembly (Solid-state lithium-metal cell)
- Solid-State Cell Assembly assembles Ceramic Solid Separator (LLZO garnet) (Ceramic solid separator)
- Solid-State Cell Assembly assembles Lithium-Metal Anode (in-situ plated) (Lithium-metal anode)
- Solid-State Cell Assembly assembles NMC Cathode Active Material (NMC cathode active material)
- Ceramic Solid Separator (LLZO garnet) sources from Lanthanum Oxide Separation/Refining (Lanthanum oxide (La2O3))
- Ceramic Solid Separator (LLZO garnet) sources from Zirconium Oxide (from zircon) (Zirconium oxide (ZrO2))
- Ceramic Solid Separator (LLZO garnet) sources from Lithium Hydroxide/Carbonate Refining (Lithium hydroxide (LiOH))
- Lanthanum Oxide Separation/Refining refines Rare-Earth (Lanthanum-bearing) Mine (Lanthanum concentrate)
- Lithium-Metal Anode (in-situ plated) sources from Lithium Hydroxide/Carbonate Refining (Battery-grade lithium)
- Lithium Hydroxide/Carbonate Refining refines Spodumene Lithium Mine (Spodumene concentrate)
- NMC Cathode Active Material sources from Lithium Hydroxide/Carbonate Refining (Lithium hydroxide (LiOH))
- NMC Cathode Active Material sources from Cobalt/Nickel Sulfate Refining (for NMC) (Nickel/cobalt/manganese sulfate)
- Cobalt/Nickel Sulfate Refining (for NMC) refines Cobalt Mine (Cobalt/nickel ore)
Sources and methodology
Research-based supply-chain map compiled from public sources - not an audited bill of materials. Tiers reflect the standard industry structure for this product. Sourcing risk on a node describes where that input is typically mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for QuantumScape, and it is not a screening result for the node itself unless a federal listing is cited against it. Verify against primary documentation before making a compliance determination.
Primary sources (2) - government, filings, standards bodies
Secondary sources (10) - trade press, analysts, reference works
- quantumscape.com quantumscape.com/quantumscape-and-corning-announce-agreement-for-ceramic-separator-development-commercialization/
- businesswire.com businesswire.com/news/home/20250624801952/en/QuantumScape-Achieves-Major-Milestone-Cobra-Separator-Process-Enters-Baseline-Production
- en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLZO
- freepatentsonline.com freepatentsonline.com/9966630.html
- volkswagen-group.com volkswagen-group.com/en/press-releases/powerco-and-quantumscape-announce-landmark-agreement-to-industrialize-solid-state-batteries-18494
- energy-solutions.co energy-solutions.co/reports/lithium-chokepoint-china-monopoly/
- en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_industry_in_China
- sfa-oxford.com sfa-oxford.com/rare-earths-and-minor-metals/rare-earth-processing-refining-supply-chain-security/
- csiro.au csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2025/march/spodumene-australias-lithium-mineral-hero
- sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301420722005827
Common questions
- Where does QuantumScape source the inputs in this product?
- This map traces 12 inputs across 4 countries, including 6 mines and refiners. It is compiled from public sources and is not an audited bill of materials.
- How much of the QuantumScape supply chain sits in a covered nation?
- 4 of 12 mapped inputs are sited in a covered nation (China, Russia, Iran or North Korea) or named on a federal restricted-party list. A further 5 carry elevated sourcing risk without either basis.
- Is QuantumScape itself a Foreign Entity of Concern?
- No federal designation found. QuantumScape is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and the United States is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Sourcing risk in this map describes where inputs are mined and refined and is a separate question from the company's own federal screening.