I Donut Believe, Episode 7: Version 2 Already?
- Buck City Biker
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Donut’s latest video isn’t another test. It’s a sit-down with CEO Marko Lehtimäki, and it comes with a significantly different tone.
There’s a bit of tongue-in-cheek. It opens with a fake April Fools-style setup, leans into some knowingly rough edits, and throws in a few jokes along the way. It’s clearly not meant to land like a formal technical briefing.
But there are still a few signals worth paying attention to: 100,000 cycles is under scrutiny, and just before we’ve seen a full production-ready battery in the wild, Donut is already talking about version 2.
If you've not seen our previous coverage, skip to them here: charging speed, thermal behaviour, real-world pack performance, failure mode.
Key Takeaways from the Interview
Version 2 is already in the works. Lehtimäki made it clear that the battery shown in testing isn’t the end goal. A next iteration is already being developed, positioned as closer to what Donut ultimately wants to deliver.
We're still seeing real functional batteries. The current cells are effectively being framed as proof-of-concept hardware. That said, they are functioning batteries, and they are claimed as already inside the latest batch of TS Pro Gen 2 Bikes.
Still no chemistry details. Despite the “secrets” angle, Donut still isn’t saying exactly what’s inside the cell, which remains the biggest missing piece.
The 100,000 cycle claim isn’t tested. As Lehtimäki says, the 100,000 cycle figure is what the battery is designed for, not something that’s been fully validated in testing yet.
Why all the visibility? Asked directly why Donut is so public if the battery is real, the answer was about building trust in public, an unusual approach in battery development.
The BCB Take
This is where the Donut story shifts slightly. Up to now, it’s been about putting numbers on the table. This time, it feels more like an attempt to step back, show a bit more of the thinking behind it, and build some trust along the way.
That makes sense. It’s different, and you’d have to think Donut’s audience is growing with every drop.
We now know the 100,000 cycle claim isn’t tested, and that Version 2 is already being talked about. Does that dilute the picture a bit?
Meanwhile, the Verge TS Pro Gen 2 has just rolled of the production line, with Donut Battery included, so rider reviews are just around the next turn. If you’ve got one on order, let us know about it.
Ride safe, folks.
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