QED Battery Corp. is a North American company that has made rechargeable zinc batteries work — solving a problem the industry has chased for roughly fifty years. QED builds energy storage on a water-based chemistry that cannot catch fire, from abundant, non-toxic materials, with no lithium and no cobalt.

Zinc has always been an attractive material for energy storage: abundant, inexpensive, non-toxic and non-flammable. Its long-standing problem was that rechargeable zinc failed after a few hundred cycles, through three interacting failure mechanisms — dendrite growth, electrolyte breakdown and gassing, and active-material redistribution. Fixing one used to make another worse.

QED developed an electrode architecture that suppresses all three at the same time. How it does so is protected; what it does can be measured.

QED cells use a water-based (alkaline) electrolyte instead of the flammable organic solvents used in lithium-ion cells, so the cell cannot enter thermal runaway. It is non-combustible and non-toxic, and tolerant of overcharge and short circuit. Local codes and site requirements still apply to any installation.

No. QED uses no lithium and no cobalt. The materials are abundant, non-toxic and conflict-free.

• ~241 mAh/g initial specific capacity Coin cell
• ~78% capacity retention at 1,000+ full cycles Prismatic cell
• ~2,500+ cycles at 0–100% depth of discharge Coin cell
• 50,000+ electrode cycles Electrode (half-cell)
• 210+ Wh/kg specific energy Coin cell
• under ~3 min to reach 90% charge Per cell
• Zero observed gas evolution Coin cell

Every figure is shown at the scale it was measured. Larger-format results will be added as they are validated — not before.

The scope tells you what was tested. A coin cell is a small test cell used to measure a chemistry in the lab. A half-cell tests a single electrode on its own. A full cell has both real electrodes. A result for one is not a result for another — electrode cycles, for example, describe how an electrode ages, not how long a finished system lasts.

We state the scope beside every number so you can judge it the way an engineer would.

Published results so far are at coin-cell scale. Prismatic cells — the flat, rectangular format used in storage systems — are in validation. Prismatic figures will be published once they have been validated, and not before.

Yes. QED cells use abundant, non-toxic, conflict-free materials and are fully recyclable at end of life.

QED’s inputs are sourced from Canada and NATO partners, with no lithium or cobalt anywhere in the chain. Much of the world’s lithium-battery supply chain is concentrated in a single country, so secure, allied supply matters to utilities, manufacturers and defence programmes.

QED is one chemistry platform across three generations.

Gen 1 — grid storage, battery energy storage systems and residential storage: container-scale, appliance-sized and wall-mounted units. This is the lead product, in development toward commercial deployment.

Gen 2 — everything Gen 1 does, plus larger units for the interior of homes and small-format cells for personal electronics such as earpieces and phones. In development.

Gen 3 — high-capacity, high-density storage for mobility: electric vehicles, power tools, mobile energy storage and humanoid robotics. An early indication of direction, not a product.

QED products are in development and are not yet available for purchase, and there is no public pricing. If you have a project in mind, send a commercial inquiry and a person will reply.

Because the chemistry is non-combustible, a QED system does not need the fire-suppression, exclusion-zone and armouring measures that flammable chemistries require. That widens where storage can go — inside buildings, next to people, in dense areas. Local building and fire codes still apply to any installation, and QED system designs are still in development.

Each of those costs exists because some chemistries can catch fire. A non-combustible chemistry is designed to avoid the dangerous-goods restrictions on shipping, ease fire-code permitting, reduce insurance exposure, and remove the active cooling and fire suppression that exist to manage fire risk.

That is why we compare on the total cost of owning a system over its life, not on the price of a cell.

We compare chemistries, not companies — LFP, NMC, sodium-ion and lead-acid are different classes with different strengths. QED’s advantage is at the system level: safety, durability, supply security and total cost of ownership. Where another chemistry does better — NMC on raw energy density today — we say so. Any comparison figure will carry a dated source.

Certification follows product development. QED does not claim any certification today; the certification path is part of the roadmap, and each certification will be stated only once it has been granted.

QED was founded by Wayne Berry. Ben Hill is the incoming Chief Executive Officer. Research is led by Dr. Reza Alipour Moghadam together with Ontario Tech University. You can meet the team on the About page.

QED’s research programme is performed with Ontario Tech University, and the work has been reviewed eight times by government scientists since 2020.

Those are development directions, not available products. Gen 2 points toward personal electronics and larger units for homes; Gen 3 toward electric vehicles, power tools, mobile storage and humanoid robotics. If you are working on a specific application, tell us about it.

Images marked concept are illustrations of design direction. Product designs are still evolving as the technology develops, and we label illustrations so you can tell them from photographs.

Use Commercial inquiry to discuss a project, Partner with QED for distribution, installation or research collaboration, or Follow the development for updates as milestones are reached. A person on the team reads every message.

QED Battery Corp. is a North American company developing rechargeable zinc energy storage. It has made rechargeable zinc work — a problem the industry chased for roughly fifty years — on a water-based chemistry that is non-combustible and cannot enter thermal runaway, from abundant, non-toxic materials, with no lithium and no cobalt.

Zinc has always been an attractive material for energy storage: abundant, inexpensive, non-toxic and non-flammable. Its long-standing problem was that rechargeable zinc failed after a few hundred cycles, through three interacting failure mechanisms:

• Dendrites — spiky deposits that grow on charging and short the cell. Controlled.
• Electrolyte breakdown and gassing — the water-based electrolyte decomposes and gases. Suppressed.
• Shape change — zinc migrates and capacity is lost over cycles. Constrained.

Fixing one used to make another worse. QED’s breakthrough is suppressing all three at the same time. How it does so is protected; what it does can be measured.

No. QED is zinc — alkaline zinc on a water-based electrolyte. There is no lithium and no cobalt anywhere in the chain.

QED is a North American company. Its research programme is performed with Ontario Tech University in Canada, and its inputs are sourced from Canada and NATO partners.

QED cells use a water-based (alkaline) electrolyte instead of the flammable organic solvents used in lithium-ion cells. The chemistry is non-combustible and cannot enter thermal runaway. It is non-toxic, and tolerant of overcharge and short circuit. Local codes and site requirements still apply to any installation.

Thermal runaway is an uncontrollable, self-heating reaction inside a battery cell: the cell produces heat faster than it can lose it, which can lead to very high temperatures, venting, smoke and fire. It is the failure mode lithium-ion systems are engineered around. QED’s water-based chemistry cannot enter thermal runaway.

No responsible manufacturer should promise “zero risk”, and QED does not. What QED can say precisely is that the chemistry is non-combustible and cannot enter thermal runaway. Electrical systems still need correct design, installation and local code compliance.

No. QED cells use abundant, non-toxic materials in a water-based electrolyte.

The chemistry is tolerant of overcharge and short circuit, and because the electrolyte is water-based it cannot enter thermal runaway. As with any electrical product, systems are still designed with the correct electrical protection.

Zero observed gas evolution Coin cell

Because the chemistry is non-combustible, a QED system does not need the fire-suppression, exclusion-zone and armouring measures that flammable chemistries require. That widens where storage can go — inside buildings, next to people, in dense areas. Local building and fire codes still apply, and QED system designs are still in development.

QED cells use common, abundant anode and cathode materials in an alkaline, water-based electrolyte, with engineered structures at both electrodes that prevent the historical failure modes of rechargeable zinc. What the technology does is measured and published; how it is built is protected.

A water-based, alkaline electrolyte — not the flammable organic solvent used in lithium-ion cells. That is why the chemistry is non-combustible.

Common, abundant anode and cathode materials — zinc on the anode side. The specific electrode formulation and structure are protected intellectual property, so we don’t describe them publicly.

Zinc is abundant, inexpensive, non-toxic and non-flammable, and it is mined and refined in many countries. Its only historical weakness was a short life when recharged — the problem QED has addressed.

No. QED is zinc — always has been.

Ordinary alkaline batteries are single-use. QED is rechargeable zinc: it keeps the safety and abundance of zinc chemistry while overcoming the failure mechanisms that used to stop zinc from being recharged many times.

• ~241 mAh/g initial specific capacity Coin cell
• ~78% capacity retention at 1,000+ full cycles Prismatic cell
• ~2,500+ cycles at 0–100% depth of discharge Coin cell
• 50,000+ electrode cycles Electrode (half-cell)
• 210+ Wh/kg specific energy Coin cell
• under ~3 min to reach 90% charge Per cell
• Zero observed gas evolution Coin cell

Every figure is shown at the scale it was measured. Larger-format results will be added as they are validated — not before.

~78% capacity retention at 1,000+ full cycles Prismatic cell and 50,000+ electrode cycles Electrode (half-cell). These describe cell and electrode ageing at the scale tested, not the life of a finished system. Prismatic-cell cycle life is in validation and will be published once validated.

under ~3 min to reach 90% charge Per cell. This is a per-cell measurement, not a pack or system charge time.

210+ Wh/kg specific energy Coin cell. Where another chemistry does better on raw energy density today — NMC lithium-ion, for example — we say so. Prismatic energy density is in validation.

The scope tells you what was tested. A coin cell is a small test cell used to measure a chemistry in the lab. A half-cell tests a single electrode on its own. A full cell has both real electrodes. A result for one is not a result for another — electrode cycles describe how an electrode ages, not how long a finished system lasts. We state the scope beside every number so you can judge it the way an engineer would.

Published results so far are at coin-cell scale. Prismatic cells — the flat, rectangular format used in storage systems — are in validation. Prismatic figures will be published once they have been validated, and not before.

A QED coin cell has been in continuous operation for over six months, and the test is ongoing. The Technology page counts the days.

The Technology page shows every published measurement with its scope, and explains what each one means.

Operating temperature ranges will be published at product level once they have been validated, in line with how every QED figure is released: measured first, then stated with its scope.

QED is one chemistry platform across three generations. What changes is the form factor and the way it is used — not the underlying invention.

• Gen 1 — grid storage, battery energy storage systems and residential storage: container-scale, appliance-sized and wall-mounted units. The lead product, in development toward commercial deployment.
• Gen 2 — everything Gen 1 does, plus larger units for the interior of homes and small-format cells for electronics. In development.
• Gen 3 — high-capacity, high-density storage for mobility: electric vehicles, power tools, mobile energy storage and robotics. An early indication of direction, not a product.

Gen 1 is the lead product: grid storage, battery energy storage systems and residential storage, in container-scale, appliance-sized and wall-mounted forms. It is in development toward commercial deployment.

QED makes the rechargeable alkaline zinc cell, and the module and battery management system (BMS) that turn cells into storage. Partners and customers build them into their own systems — grid storage, data centers, homes, devices and vehicles. The applications shown on this site are concepts of where QED cells go, not QED products for sale.

Small-format consumer cells sit within the intended scope of Gen 2, which is in development. No consumer product is available today.

Those are Gen 3 directions — electric vehicles, power tools, mobile storage and robotics — and Gen 3 is an early indication of direction, not a product. If you are working on a specific application, tell us about it.

Product capacities are not yet specified: designs are in development and figures will be published only once validated. The Explore page shows the forms in development, from wall units to container-scale systems.

Images marked concept illustrate design direction. Product designs are still evolving as the technology develops, and we label illustrations so you can tell them from photographs.

Grid and utility storage, commercial and industrial sites, data centres and critical infrastructure, hospitals and facilities near people, defence and government, and homes. Gen 2 adds personal electronics; Gen 3 points toward mobility.

Data centres and critical infrastructure are among the settings Gen 1 is designed for. For these buyers the question is removing a catastrophic tail risk: a non-combustible chemistry removes the fire risk that lithium-ion installations are engineered around.

Residential storage is within Gen 1’s scope, with Gen 2 adding larger units for the interior of homes. Products are in development and not yet available for purchase — you can follow the development to hear when that changes.

Storing energy from solar and wind is exactly what stationary storage is for, and it is part of Gen 1’s scope. Compatibility with specific inverters has not yet been confirmed and will be published once tested.

Active cooling, fire suppression, steel armour and exclusion zones exist in lithium-ion installations to manage fire risk. A non-combustible chemistry removes the reason for them. QED system designs are in development, and local codes still apply.

Maintenance guidance will be published with product documentation when products ship. Because the chemistry is non-combustible, a QED system has no cooling or fire-suppression equipment to service.

Each of those costs exists because some chemistries can catch fire. A non-combustible chemistry is designed to avoid the dangerous-goods restrictions on shipping, ease fire-code permitting, reduce insurance exposure, and remove the active cooling and fire suppression that exist to manage fire risk. That is why we compare on the total cost of owning a system over its life, not on the price of a cell.

Lithium-ion batteries ship as Class 9 dangerous goods, with hazmat packaging, restricted carriers and extra documentation. QED is non-hazardous, so it is designed to ship as ordinary freight — for inbound materials, finished products and recycling alike.

Flammable chemistries trigger fire-engineering studies, exclusion zones and fire-marshal sign-off, and are sometimes refused in dense or sensitive locations. A non-combustible chemistry is designed to simplify that path and to reach sites lithium-ion cannot use. Local building and fire codes still apply.

QED competes on the total cost of owning a system over its life, not on the sticker price of a cell. Removing cooling, suppression, hazmat shipping and fire-driven insurance exposure is where the savings come from. There is no public pricing while products are in development.

Most stationary storage today is lithium-ion. It works — and it brings a concentrated supply chain and a fire risk that every site has to plan around. In 2024 an estimated 76% of the world’s mined cobalt came from one country (USGS); the IEA expects China to still supply over 60% of refined lithium in 2035; and grid-scale battery failure incidents have averaged about one a month since 2021 (EPRI), even as the failure rate per GWh installed has fallen. The sources are linked on the home page.

Yes. QED cells use abundant, non-toxic, conflict-free materials and are fully recyclable at end of life.

No. QED uses no lithium and no cobalt anywhere in the chain. The materials are abundant, non-toxic and conflict-free.

QED’s inputs are sourced from Canada and NATO partners, with no lithium or cobalt anywhere in the chain. Much of the world’s lithium-battery supply chain is concentrated in a few countries, so secure, allied supply matters to utilities, manufacturers and defence programmes.

QED uses abundant, non-toxic, conflict-free materials, no lithium and no cobalt, and the cells are fully recyclable at end of life.

QED was founded by Wayne Berry, President & Founder. Ben Hill is the incoming Chief Executive Officer. Research is led by Dr. Reza Alipour Moghadam, QED’s Lead Researcher, with Ontario Tech University as research partner. You can meet the team on the About page.

QED’s research programme is performed with Ontario Tech University, and the work has been reviewed eight times by government scientists since 2020. The programme has been supported by NRC-IRAP, NSERC, Mitacs and OCI.

Certification follows product development. QED does not claim any certification today; the certification path is part of the roadmap, and each certification will be stated only once it has been granted.

QED’s intellectual property is real and protected, and we don’t discuss the details publicly. Qualified partners can speak with the team directly.

We compare chemistries, not companies — LFP, NMC, sodium-ion and lead-acid are different classes with different strengths. QED’s advantage is at the system level: safety, durability, supply security and total cost of ownership. Where another chemistry does better — NMC on raw energy density today — we say so. Any comparison figure will carry a dated source.

QED products are in development and are not yet available for purchase, and there is no public pricing. If you have a project in mind, send a commercial inquiry and a person will reply.

Use Commercial inquiry to discuss a project, Partner with QED for distribution, installation or research collaboration, or Follow the development for updates as milestones are reached. A person on the team reads every message.

Yes — tell us about your business through Partner with QED. Distribution and installation partnerships are part of how QED will reach the market.

Choose Follow the development on the contact page and we will keep you informed as milestones are reached.

Warranty terms will be published when products ship. Nothing is for sale yet.

QED is a small team growing around its research programme. See the Careers page, or introduce yourself through the contact page and choose Careers.

Use the contact page and choose Media. The Press page has a short company description and approved logo files.

Financial and investor information isn’t shared publicly. If you are an investor, the team is glad to speak with you directly through an investor inquiry.

Ask QED answers questions from the approved information on this website. It does not send your question to any outside service, and it won’t guess: if it doesn’t have an approved answer, it says so and points you to a person.

See the Privacy Policy. In short: the contact form collects what you send so a person can reply, Ask QED keeps only questions it could not answer, and the site uses no advertising or analytics trackers.