On paper, the announcement is enough to turn heads. Donut Lab claims to have developed a fully functional solid battery – understand: without liquid or gelled electrolyte – and, above all, already produced industrially. To support its claims, the start-up did not come empty-handed: on its stand at CES was a high-end electric motorcycle, the TS Pro, developed by its partner Verge, marketed now with deliveries planned for the first quarter.
Lots of promises, few explanations
The figures put forward are dizzying. Donut promises an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, well beyond that observed on current lithium-ion cells – around 240 Wh/kg for Tesla’s famous 4680. Added to this are a lower cost than current batteries, a complete recharge in five minutes, an operating range of –30 to 100°C, no risk of thermal runaway… and an announced lifespan of 100,000 charge cycles.
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« This is something that will transform the industry “, boasted Marko Lehtimäki, the boss of Donut, going so far as to deem the combustion “useless”. He insisted: “ We’re cheaper than lithium-ion from the start ”, with an architecture that can adapt “ from tiny to gigantic “. Enough, in any case, to arouse the interest of manufacturers of trains or industrial machinery.
The commercial reality, however, is more down to earth. The Finnish Donut factory will only produce 1 GWh in 2026: “ This year is going to be tight », Recognizes management. And Verge motorcycles have elite prices: from $29,900 to $34,900 depending on capacity, well beyond a Harley-Davidson LiveWire.
The main blind spot remains the technology itself. Donut remains surprisingly tight-lipped about the exact composition of his drum kit. “ A blend of materials science and industrial innovation », simply explains Marko Lehtimäki, specifying that the raw materials do not come from controversial supply chains. Same restraint on the commercial development side: “ Common materials, without geopolitical constraints “, we assure within the company, before brushing aside any concerns with a laconic ” there is no trap ».
This opacity invites caution… even skepticism. Recent history is full of similar announcements that never materialized: in 2017, Fisker promised a solid battery for 2023. The project never saw the light of day, and the company ended up going bankrupt. One element, however, works in favor of the start-up: the Verge motorcycle will be delivered in a few weeks. It can then be dismantled, analyzed and dissected. We won’t have to wait too long to find out everything.
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