Actually, a bit more than investigate — they’ve bought a 5 percent holding in QuantumScape, the company developing the battery, with an option to buy a bigger share, after it makes a decision on the battery — “by July”.
And the battery? Its solid state, & in addition to higher capacity than other EV batteries, it’s variously described as, "fire proof", or, "fire resistant".
http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2015/03/vw-to-decide-on-new-battery-technology.html
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/01/vw-challenges-tesla-with-disruptive-new-ev-battery/ / Volkswagen new battery technology under development develop U.S. startup QuantumScape Corp electric cars technology’s boost the range battery powered vehicles tests are progressing VW Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn press conference Stuttgart Germany progress has been made VW acquired 5 percent holding QuantumScape German carmaker energy-storage technology fireproof vehicles luxury Porsche Audi divisions 700 km range
new power storage technology electric vehicle driving distance charge recharge recharges 700 kilometers 430 miles battery-powered version VW Golf closely held QuantumScape founded 2010 former Stanford University researchers solid-state batteries liquid electrolytes lithium-ion technology solid electrolytes burn resistant store more energy more power extend the range of electric vehicles Perovskite disruptive technology lithium ion LiIon research Stanford Friedrich Prinz CEO is Jagdeep Singh solid track record cutting edge tech graphene naturally occurring mineral all-electron battery AEB effect inclusions embedded dielectric two electrodes capacitor electrons tunnel through dielectric electrodes inclusions increasing the charge storage density conventional capacitor all electron battery TheEEStory QuantumScape patents forming processing antiperovskite doped aluminium crystal structure similar naturally occurring perovskite synthetic antiperovskites thin film antiperovskite deposited substrate electrode lithium-based electrochemical storage device thin film solid state electrolytes lithium ion batteries metallic lithium anode increases capacity energy density lithium-based electrochemical storage device Li3OBr Li3OCl demonstrated superionic conductivity LiRAPs investigated use solid state batteries cell cells /
