Quantumscape Corp (NYSE:QS) shares surged about 15% on Thursday after the solid-state battery developer announced a joint research agreement with Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) subsidiary Honda R&D Co Ltd to advance its battery technology platform.

The multi-year collaboration will focus on solid-state battery development and related manufacturing processes, combining the expertise of both companies.

The agreement follows Honda's completion of a technology evaluation program with QuantumScape that included an in-depth assessment of the company's solid-state battery platform and benchmarking against competing technologies through a series of standard technical tests.

"QS technology demonstrated compelling and unique advantages during our evaluation," Atsushi Ogawa, chief operating officer of Honda R&D's Research Center of Excellence, said in a statement.

He added that the company sees potential for the technology across multiple applications, including automotive uses.

QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram said Honda's assessment represented "one of the most rigorous evaluations of our technology to date."

"This agreement reflects the growing confidence in QS solid-state lithium-metal batteries to enable safer, higher-density energy storage," Sivaram said.

The company develops solid-state lithium-metal batteries, which are viewed as a potential alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries due to their potential for higher energy density and improved safety characteristics.