Finnish company Donut Lab claims to have developed the world’s first production-ready solid-state battery for electric vehicles that can charge to full capacity in just five minutes.
The battery technology was unveiled at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, with the company saying its solid-state unit delivers 400 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) of energy density and supports charging without the typical 80% limit of conventional lithium-ion batteries.
Donut Lab says the battery will enter real-world use immediately, powering Verge Motorcycles’ TS Pro and Ultra models from the first quarter of 2026.
“While the advantages are obvious, the future of solid state batteries has been a moving target constantly delayed when companies working in electrification are asked about when they will become a reality,” Donut Lab chief executive Marko Lehtimäki says.
“Our answer on solid state batteries being ready for use in OEM production vehicles is now, today, not later. Donut Lab has engineered a new high performance solid state Donut Battery that can be scaled to major production volumes and seen now in real world use in the Verge Motorcycles bikes out on the road in Q1.”
Performance and safety claims
The company claims its solid-state battery experiences minimal capacity fade over its lifetime, with testing completed to 100,000 cycles across temperatures ranging from minus 30 degrees Celsius to over 100 degrees Celsius.
According to Donut Lab, the battery retains 99% of its capacity at both temperature extremes with no signs of ignition or degradation.
The company says safety improvements include the elimination of flammable liquid electrolytes, thermal runaway chains, and metallic dendrites that can cause battery fires in conventional lithium-ion systems.
Donut Lab claims the battery is made entirely from “abundant, affordable and geopolitically safe materials” and demonstrates lower costs than lithium-ion technology, though specific construction details were not disclosed.
Real-world deployment
Verge Motorcycles will be the first manufacturer to use the solid-state technology in production vehicles, with the battery powering the company’s electric motorcycles from early 2026.
The motorcycles equipped with Donut Lab’s battery can charge in less than 10 minutes and deliver up to 60 kilometres of range per minute of charging, according to the companies. The long-range version offers 600 kilometres on a single charge.
Beyond motorcycles, Donut Lab says the battery can be custom designed for various applications and even used as structural components in vehicles or drone bodies.
The company has partnerships across multiple sectors, including WATT Electric Vehicles for modular EV platforms, Cova Power for smart trailers, and ESOX Group for defence applications.
Broader applications
Donut Lab says the technology extends beyond automotive use to applications including data centre energy storage, grid balancing, and charging infrastructure.
The company previously developed in-wheel motor technology and says more than 200 original equipment manufacturers are engaged in development and integration of its electric motor systems.
For Australian EV adoption, faster charging technology could address range anxiety and infrastructure limitations that have slowed electric vehicle uptake, though the timeline for broader market availability of solid-state batteries remains to be confirmed through real-world testing.
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