658
Donut Lab's miracle battery found to be a fraud, investigation claims
(interestingengineering.com)
this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2026
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Technology
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The problem is there are multiple tech companies involved, all bullshitting each other. It starts with a German screening technology company claiming they can screen produce the solid state electrode, when they never made a single battery ever. if company A can develop the tech then company B can assemble the battery to do into the motorcycles in company C.
Formula E racing uses the state of the art in batteries, and for 2027 they sourced a lithium battery even though cost was no object.
Two Chinese companies claim to be making solid state batteries, put the performance is only equal to classic lithium.
Toyota got burned on this. They were promised SS batteries delivered by 2025. Never happened.
Donut Labs was also looking for funding from a large number of smaller investors, none of which had the knowledge or capability to really look into what was going on
This is a model now.
Never invest in tech if you cannot do due diligence.
Aaw crap, if that ever happened to me it would really bum me out if I had good intentions.
I'd be bummed too but it would mean I probably didn't do the basic due diligence for my job
Just fyi, you can make a solid state lithium battery. It's just the only benefit for it is less weight for the same space rather than increased energy density.
I thought I read Toyota was building their own ginormous SS battery factory several years ago.
That timeline gets extended every year. Toyota is depending on a supplier, they are not a battery company.