Donut Lab Episode 11: The Biggest Claim Yet
- Buck City Biker
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The latest Donut Lab episode might contain its biggest claim yet. Not because of what the battery can do, but because of how many they think they can build.
Right from the start, CEO Marko Lehtimäki repeats Donut's argument that its battery is the first of its kind to reach production vehicles, then he quickly moves on to manufacturing. Donut believes it has found a way to build solid-state batteries faster, cheaper, and at greater scale than anyone else in the sector.
What Donut's Video Says
The core argument is straightforward: traditional lithium-ion batteries are expensive and complicated to produce. Donut’s pitch is that its technology strips out some of that complexity, making it easier to manufacture in volume.
The batteries are simpler to make
Donut says its cells require less manufacturing complexity than conventional lithium-ion designs.
No need for specialist rooms
Instead of relying on tightly controlled oxygen-free room facilities, Donut claims its cells can be produced in normal industrial spaces.
A less constrained supply chain
We've heard thi sbefore. Its materials are more widely available, reducing dependence on specific regions and remove some of the bottlenecks seen in traditional battery production.
Less time in formation and ageing
Donut says its process reduces some of the slowest and most costly stages of battery production, speeding up overall output.
A different production model
Rather than building complete batteries in one place, Donut is looking at standardised cell production at scale, with final testing and assembly happening closer to the end customer. The idea is that splitting production this way makes it easier to ramp capacity quickly compared to traditional battery manufacturing setups.
1 GWh target for 2026
The episode closes with Marko Lehtimäki stating Donut is aiming for 1 GWh of annual production capacity this year, with further expansion already on the table.
The BCB Take
Over the past few months, Donut has been busy trying to back up its battery narrative with tests, demonstrations, and vehicle integrations. There’s no new chemistry reveal here, and no fresh breakthrough data. This episode is about whether it can scale.
Donut isn't just saying it has a battery capable of doing things the rest of the industry can't. It's now arguing that it can build a battery supply chain cheaper and faster than anyone else in the market.
If you thought the original Donut battery story required a leap of faith, this one goes even further. It's clear Donut isn't backing away from its ambitions, instead it's doubling down on them. Bigger claims, bigger targets and bigger promises.
But whether riders care at this stage is debatable. Most are still asking the same question: where is the Verge TS Pro?
Ride safe, folks.
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