Donut Lab's Miracle Battery Found to Be a Fraud, Investigation Claims
Battery researchers said tests and voltage data show Donut Lab’s cell matches a standard lithium-ion design, not the sodium-ion solid-state technology it promoted.
- Battery researcher Ryan Inis Hughes and over 20 independent experts have produced definitive proof that Donut Lab's "miracle" solid-state battery is actually a lithium-ion cell, based on electrochemical evidence including voltage curves and cell expansion data.
- Investigators traced the technology to German firm CT Coatings, while CEO Marko Lehtimäki allegedly engaged in "authority laundering" by paying VTT Technical Research Centre to run selective tests, creating an illusion of legitimacy for false performance claims.
- Technical evidence reveals the battery operates at 3.7-3.8 volts at 50% charge, typical for NCM lithium-ion cells, while a distinctive "kink" in graphite anode expansion conclusively proves lithium-ion chemistry since sodium ions are too large to fit graphite layers.
- Donut Lab raised approximately $25 million from over 1,300 investors, inflating the company's valuation to $1.25 billion, while Lehtimäki's investor letters promised returns of up to 10x in 12 to 18 months based on technology that did not exist.
- The battery industry does not need another Nikola; while solid-state batteries are genuinely emerging from Samsung SDI and Toyota, this deception risks cooling public trust in the technology's broader development and legitimacy.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Donut Lab’s solid-state battery claim debunked by Ziroth
The devil’s in the details. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Donut Labs Donut Lab's solid-state battery claims have been thoroughly debunked by Ryan Inis Hughes on his popular Ziroth YouTube channel. According to Hughes, Donut Lab has engaged in deliberate, calculated deception by claiming to have a solid-state battery ready for mass production. In reality, it's nothing more than a standard lithium-ion design. Hughes' investigation got an as…
Finnish fraud: miracle solid-state battery turns out to be false
It was the battery claim of the decade. Donut Lab introduced solid-state cells that shocked the battery world with their efficiency and blistering charging times. Now, it turns out that it was just a decent liquid lithium-ion cell with an ambitious press release. Finnish financial and criminal authorities are reportedly looking into the matter. Alarm bells A comprehensive investigation published this week has delivered definitive proof that Donu…
Startup’s ‘miracle’ solid-state battery actually uses lithium-ion chemistry, according to third-party tests — Donut Lab raised $25M and is valued at $1.25B on what now appear to be debunked claims
A Finnish startup’s startling claims to have a production-ready ‘miracle’ solid-state battery have thoroughly collapsed under independent scrutiny.
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