From Transport Evolved.
At CES this January, battery startup Donut Lab made some pretty massive claims about a new battery pack it said was the world’s first commercial solid-state pack. It promised to bring that pack — with some pretty large claims on battery performance, lifespan, and charging capabilities — to the refreshed Verge TS Pro motorcycle, a bike designed and built by its sister company, Verge Motorcycles.
Almost immediately, the company faced criticism and calls to back up its claims with independent lab testing. Through its "I Donut Believe" campaign, it claimed to offer exactly that — but steered clear of the two areas its critics most wanted to hear about: energy density and cycle life.
Now, hot on the heels of legal action from a former employee of one of its partner firms, new investigative reporting from YouTuber and engineer Dr. Ryan Hughes of @ZirothTech appears to debunk Donut Lab’s claims entirely. What was sold as a revolutionary solid-state pack may be nothing more than a common-or-garden lithium-ion cell.
Here’s what we know, what’s likely to happen next, and why Donut Lab may have a lot of explaining to do
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00:00 – Introduction
02:07 – The Institution That Is CES
03:08 – Donut Lab and Its Claims
04:00 – Initial Optimism
04:19 – Questions Mount
04:59 – Skepticism Rises
05:46 – The History of Verge Motorcycles
07:42 – Enter Donut Lab
08:24 – CES 2026 — And Donut’s Claims
08:59 – The "I Donut Believe" Campaign
15:41 – A Reminder To Support This Channel
16:52 – The Allegations and the Evidence
19:47 – The Voltage Curves Don’t Lie
20:47 – The Energy Density Doesn’t Add Up
21:55 – Alleged Financial Improprieties
24:43 – What’s Next?
27:06 – Thanks and Goodbye
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*Sources and Further Reading:*
🎥 Ziroth — "Exposing The Solid State Donut Battery. It’s Over." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5oyVNjrUPI
📄 Donut Lab — Official Website https://www.donutlab.com
📄 VTT — "I Donut Believe" Test Series https://www.vttresearch.com
📄 Helsingin Sanomat — Criminal Complaint Reporting https://www.hs.fi/visio/art-2000011948614.html
📄 Donut Lab & Nordic Nano — Joint Public Statement https://www.donutlab.com/donut-labin-ja-nord
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*👥 Today’s Sponsors*
🌱 Electric Vehicle Association – https://www.myeva.org
⚡ EnergySage – https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262
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*🎙️ Credits:*
Host, Script, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation : Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: via Artlist.io
