Systems Update: What’s going on with Donut Lab?

{"title": "Examining the Skepticism Around Donut Lab's Ambitious Solid-State Battery Project", "body": ["A Finnish-Estonian company based in January declared success in creating a genuine solid-state battery, long sought after in tech circles. Donut Labs described its innovation not only as fully solid-state but also constructed from affordable, accessible resources, capable of full charges in mere minutes, and enduring for centuries. Such an advancement, if verified, could transform global industries, leading many to question its validity. As Donut Labs ramps up efforts to validate its assertions, critics identify increasing inconsistencies. Following extensive investigation, the persistent promotional tactics from the firm have left observers frustrated and unresolved."], ["Over recent decades, traditional batteries have seen significant enhancements, yet they still fall short in several areas. Devices in consumer electronics and electric vehicles typically rely on liquid or gel polymer electrolytes. These components often trigger thermal runaway, an accelerating heat buildup that leads to failures and potential fires. Moreover, they demand stable temperatures for optimal function and careful handling. This has driven the sector toward solid-state alternatives that avoid liquid or gel elements entirely."], ["Solid-state designs promise greater energy density, enabling lighter and more compact units for equivalent power output. These advantages apply broadly but prove essential for electric vehicles, where mass and dimensions critically influence performance. They also pose minimal thermal runaway risks and operate across broader temperature ranges. Semi-solid variants are now entering the market, with complete solid-state versions on the horizon. At the close of 2025, China's leading battery producer CATL informed BatteriesNews of plans for initial small-scale solid-state production starting in 2027, though likely confined to limited volumes rather than widespread deployment."], ["Donut Lab emerged as a venture under Finnish motorcycle firm Verge Motorcycles, renowned for its futuristic hubless rear-wheel motors reminiscent of sci-fi aesthetics. Verge touts its lineup as the planet's strongest electric motor series and claims to manufacture all necessary parts for electric vehicles. Its motors now feature in the newly unveiled Speedster EV from Longbow Motors."], ["During CES 2026, Donut Lab unveiled what it called the globe's inaugural complete all-solid-state battery, insisting it surpassed prototyping and was primed for immediate use in manufactured vehicles. A slick marketing clip highlighted resolutions to longstanding industry challenges, free from the compromises others encountered. The firm positioned it as instantly integrable into electric vehicles. Concurrently, Verge Motorcycles revealed integration into its TS Pro model, with deliveries slated for the first quarter of 2026."], ["Donut Labs outlined bold specifications, starting with an energy density of 400 watt-hours per kilogram—about double that of top lithium-ion options. Standard batteries typically manage around 1,000 cycles of charging and discharging. The company forecasted 100,000 such cycles for its product, even under rapid charging. It projected an 80 percent charge from empty in roughly five minutes and a complete fill in under six. Additionally, the design offers flexible, moldable shaping to fit particular device requirements."], ["One might assume such rapid energy influx demands stringent care, but Donut Labs asserted its battery functions from -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) to 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). Furthermore, it employs everyday, inexpensive, and strategically neutral materials, bypassing rare earths controlled by certain countries. This setup should reduce production costs below those of comparable lithium-ion units, and the firm emphasized readiness for mass manufacturing."], ["A battery delivering even a fraction of these attributes could revolutionize sectors; fulfilling all would disrupt them profoundly. It might reshape supply networks, alter international dynamics, reduce dependence on scarce minerals, and accelerate electric vehicle uptake. Yet Donut Labs provided no substantiation, no insights into its methodology, and no evidence of production scalability. Skepticism abounded, with many dismissing the presentation as implausible."], ["Svolt's CEO Yang Hongqin, cited by CarNewsChina, labeled it fraudulent for anyone with rudimentary tech knowledge. Finland's Iltalehti quoted CATL venture lead Ulderico Ulissi calling it evidently fabricated, prompting Donut CEO Marko Lehtimäki to counter on LinkedIn that Ulissi would rue his hubris. Litona CEO Tom Bötticher suggested on LinkedIn a connection to Nordic Nano, an investment of Donut's, linking to an archived pitch deck portraying Nordic's storage as supercapacitor-based."], ["Observers noted Lehtimäki's history of bold product declarations. On May 15, 2025, he launched AI firm ASILAB, promoting in a promotional film a 'synthetic brain equivalent.' Its debut offering, ASINOID, was billed as a self-evolving entity advancing in skills and awareness. Though access was promised, no such availability appears documented. ASILAB ignored comment requests."], ["Critical coverage appeared in outlets like ElectronicDesign, MIT Technology Review, Interesting Engineering, and InsideEVs, alongside discussions on Reddit, Y Combinator, and Hacker News."], ["Facing initial online pushback, Donut Labs countered with IDonutBelieve.com, pledging weekly evidence releases. In an introductory clip, Lehtimäki attributed detractors to competitors with stakes, refuting assembled online narratives and supercapacitor allegations."], ["Lehtimäki accused media of unquestioningly platforming industry 'experts' whose critiques stemmed from rivalry. He explained withholding initial validations to expose opponents' positions for easier rebuttal. To counter, Donut commissioned tests from VTT Finland, a state research entity providing independent assessments, sharing outcomes gradually."], ["VTT's documents avoid endorsing Donut's assertions, merely detailing tasks like independent charging evaluations on supplied 'solid-state' devices."], ["Donut released five weekly tests spotlighting battery traits. The first involved VTT overcharging a cell past standard limits, retaining nearly full usable capacity. The second fully charged it, discharged under heat, then recharged normally, noting vacuum loss in the pouch—later attributed by Donut to packaging failure, not the core tech."], ["A VTT contact explained that cells are vacuum-sealed post-gas removal, staying rigid; loss causes softening and swelling, as observed and damaging to conventional lithium-ion units potentially harming attached devices."], ["Test Three aimed to refute supercapacitor notions by fully charging and idling the cell for 10 days, showing stable charge with minor typical decline, aligning with battery behavior over capacitor limitations."], ["Test Four, run internally by Donut, charged an 18-kilowatt-hour prototype in a Verge motorcycle from 9 percent to 80 percent—delivering about 14.5 kilowatt-hours—in 12 minutes."], ["Test Five revisited the vacuum-compromised cell from Test Two, cycling it 50 times to 90 percent capacity. VTT found cycling feasible but degrading quickly, dropping to half original by end, with 17 percent thickness increase and firm pouch. Donut highlighted its functionality versus lithium-ion explosion risk."], ["VTT confirmed the work but withheld specifics on client confidentiality."], ["On March 31, Verge shared footage of the TS Pro Gen 2, first with Donut's battery, claiming shipment readiness—coinciding with Q1's end to meet timelines. Details included a 20-kilowatt-hour standard pack for 350 kilometers (217 miles) or 33-kilowatt-hour extended for 600 kilometers (372 miles)."], ["April 1 brought a video starting with Lehtimäki feigning a scam confession, cutting to a Q&A questioning credibility on April Fools'. He quipped disbelief persists otherwise, using the day for candidness. He framed I Donut Believe tests as strategic to reveal rivals' weaknesses, noting VTT work on first-gen while advancing second-gen."], ["He admitted cycle life figures as projections, requiring long-term testing unfeasible now, but deflected density, weight, and size queries with humor, promising future disclosures in ongoing series."], ["The video format will persist, unveiling first-gen details before shifting to superior second-gen. Production costs exceeded estimates, prompting a merchandise shop with $70 shirts and $141 hoodies."], ["Amid scam allegations, escalating misdirection erodes credibility. Lehtimäki hyped second-gen superiority, ending with a scripted note on third-gen specs: 1,000 watt-hours per kilogram, 100C charging, million-cycle life, eyed for future CES."], ["These disclosures sparked intense online scrutiny, with analysts dissecting reports and clips. YouTube breakdowns vary in conclusions, Reddit dissects graphs, and threads trace links to firms like Holyvolt, CT-Coating, or benchmark against nickel-manganese-cobalt cells. Kauppalehti criticized Test Five, quoting expert Juho Heiska on using a robust standard cell for short-term stress."], ["Discrepancies are evident: promised under-10-minute full charges for Verge TS contrast Test Four's 12 minutes to 80 percent from 9—impressive with air cooling if repeatable, without post-charge swelling issues."], ["Battery specialists hesitated to comment publicly, despite awareness; academics without industry ties cited social media risks."], ["Concerns arise from Donut's evasive demonstrations; confident innovators share basics like cell dimensions for density verification, per ElectronicDesign. The elaborate presentations instead erode confidence."], ["Videos often skirt directness, avoiding clarity and shifting focus from first-gen proof to teases of later versions, resembling deflection."], ["Striving for balance, genuine delivery would thrill, but absent substantial data, skepticism lingers given past deceptions."]]}