Promising new possibilities in terms of charging speeds, energy density and pure safety, solid-state batteries have long been touted as the next frontier in electric mobility. (As a brief primer, unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes, solid-state batteries utilise solid electrolyte materials.)
Still, most established car manufacturers and battery-makers had placed their estimates that it would take a few more years - or possibly even a decade - for the technology to truly reach production-ready form. That is until this past Tuesday (6 January 2025), however, when one Finnish technology upstart burst onto CES 2026 with a bombshell announcement.
Headquartered in Helsinki, tech firm Donut Lab has unveiled what it says is the world's first production-ready solid-state battery.
It's not just in theory that this claim is being staked too. Said to already be "ready for use in OEM vehicle manufacturing", Donut Lab has revealed that its solid-state battery (dubbed the 'Donut Battery') will be "placed immediately on the road", and will power two electric bikes manufactured by Verge Motorcycles. (Interestingly, Donut Lab is one of its subsidiaries.)
The Finnish company is making some seriously impressive claims about the solid-state batteries it has introduced.
For starters, those who still whine about long charging timings should be silenced by the fact that the Donut Battery can be charged to full in a mere five minutes, and without limiting charging to 80% (typically done now to protect battery health). Donut Lab has stated that full discharges are supported "safely, repeatedly, and reliably".
There's also the fact that the Donut Batteries can maintain their performance over a wide range of conditions and over a long period of time.
Apparently, they boast the ability to retain over 99% of their capacity at temperatures as low as -30°C and as high as over 100°C - all without signs of ignition or degradation. They’re also said to experience "minimal capacity fade", with a design life of up to 100,000 recharge cycles - compared to 5,000 cycles for highest-end lithium-ion batteries currently on the market.
And of course, the Donut Battery is said to deliver driving range figures far eclipsing those we've seen on the market so far, and apparently boasts an energy density of 400Wh/kg. (For context, some of the longest-ranged modern EVs are powered by batteries with a typical energy density range of between 200-300Wh/kg).
Given that even the most powerful Chinese car manufacturers - widely regarded to be at the forefront of the electric revolution - seem a couple of years away from pushing solid-state batteries out en masse, it should be unsurprising that not everyone seems convinced by Donut Lab's claims.
Nonetheless, the company has already revealed that the first Verge Motorcycles model that will utilise its Donut Battery, the long-range Verge TS Pro, is set to hit the road in the first quarter of 2026, offering up to 600km of range on a full charge - virtually unheard of so far for electric bikes.
These are already available for order ("This is not a concept. This is not a prototype. This is production," states Verge Motorcycles), though they won't be cheap, with a base retail price of USD 34,900 (more than $45,000 in local currency). For context, the BMW CE 04 launched with a retail price of just under USD 12,000 back in 2022, which had then already ballooned to just under $54,000 when it eventually reached Singapore (exclusive of COE).
