The long-awaited leap from liquid to solid-state batteries appears to have left the laboratory. Donut Lab, a Finnish startup, has announced what it claims is the world’s first production-ready all-solid-state battery cell, signaling a potential paradigm shift for electric mobility and energy storage. This announcement moves a technology often described as a “future solution” into the realm of present-day commercial application.

Beyond Promise: Specifications Redefining the Benchmark

Donut Lab’s core proposition hinges on a battery that eliminates the flammable liquid electrolyte found in conventional lithium-ion cells. The claimed performance metrics, if validated in widespread use, are staggering:

· Energy Density: 400 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), nearly double the 250-300 Wh/kg of current premium automotive lithium-ion batteries.

· Charging & Longevity: A full charge in approximately five minutes, sustainable for up to 100,000 cycles without the degradation concerns that often limit liquid batteries to 80% state of charge.

· Environmental Resilience: Operational capacity retention exceeding 99% across a brutal temperature range from -30°C to 100°C (-22°F to 212°F).

· Safety & Composition: Inherent non-flammability upon damage and a composition purportedly free of rare materials, mitigating both safety risks and geopolitical supply chain vulnerabilities.

From Theory to Road: A Concrete Application

The technology transitions from claim to reality with Verge Motorcycles, which utilizes Donut Lab's in-wheel motors. Verge’s updated TS Pro model, slated for customer delivery in Q1 of this year, is announced as the first production EV powered by these solid-state cells. The comparison is illustrative: while the previous lithium-ion version offered 217 miles of range and charged in 35 minutes, the new solid-state model achieves up to 370 miles with a larger-option battery and charges in under ten minutes—a time Verge notes it deliberately limited to allow for a rider’s coffee break.

Disrupting the Timeline and the Economics

The solid-state battery narrative has been characterized by ambitious roadmaps and repeated delays. Donut Lab’s declaration is a direct challenge to this timeline. “Our answer… is now, today, not later,” asserts CEO Marko Lehtimäki. The company states it possesses gigawatt-hour-scale production capacity immediately available to OEMs worldwide, coupled with claims of lower manufacturing costs compared to high-performance lithium-ion batteries. This combination of performance, scalability, and cost targets the core hurdles to mass EV adoption: range anxiety, charging time, and price.

Context and Pending Validation

While revolutionary, the announcement arrives amidst a competitive and cautious landscape. Other automotive giants and battery specialists are investing heavily in solid-state research, with many targeting commercialization later this decade. Donut Lab’s breakthrough will inevitably face intense scrutiny regarding independent verification of its performance data, long-term cycle life in real-world conditions, and the specifics of its material science—details the company has yet to fully disclose publicly.

The battery will be showcased at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, offering the industry a closer look. If Donut Lab’s claims hold, it would represent more than an incremental improvement. It would be the catalyst for reimagining electric vehicle design, charging infrastructure, and even grid storage, finally delivering on the solid-state promise of speed, safety, and abundance. The era of the solid-state battery may not be on the horizon; if Donut Lab is correct, it has already begun.