All posts tagged: solidstate

Donut Lab’s ‘miracle’ solid-state battery is fraud, says insider, Donut Lab denies

Donut Lab’s ‘miracle’ solid-state battery is fraud, says insider, Donut Lab denies

Published by skeptic

Donut Lab’s miraculous solid state battery, promising energy density, charging and durability numbers unseen by the industry, has been subject to a criminal complaint in Finland from an insider who says it doesn’t live up to the public promises Donut Lab has made. But the company says that the insider didn’t work on the battery project, and denies any fraudulent behavior. Solid state batteries have long been promised as the next evolution of battery technology, using a solid electrolyte for theoretically much higher energy density. Despite these many promises over more than a decade, none have yet turned out to be manufacturable at scale and to offer better overall performance than current liquid/gel electrolyte batteries. But early this year, Finnish company Donut Lab shocked the industry with claims of a 400Wh/kg, 100k cycle life, 5-minute-charging solid state battery that it claimed was ready for production in Q1. Advertisement – scroll for more content Since then, Donut Lab has engaged in independent testing which validates some of its claims, but has left out important details, like …

Solid-state EV batteries are coming sooner than expected

Solid-state EV batteries are coming sooner than expected

Published by skeptic

After achieving a breakthrough earlier this week, Greater Bay Technology said it aims to launch the world’s first mass-producible all-solid-state battery this year. China ramps up solid-state EV battery production Greater Bay Technology (GBT) is a battery manufacturer backed by China’s GAC Group. The battery startup focuses on developing ultra-fast charging and solid-state batteries. It even set the world record for the “fastest charging technology for electric vehicles” in 2024 with its Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) batteries, which recharged from 0% to 80% in just 7.5 minutes. On Monday, the company announced it had hit another major milestone, with its first A-sample all-solid-state battery cells rolling off the production line. Advertisement – scroll for more content The A-sample battery cells contain no liquid electrolyte and successfully passed needle penetration, extrusion, and thermal shock tests without a fire or explosion. GBT said the breakthrough enables all-solid-state EV batteries to move from the lab to industrialization as it aims to begin mass production in 2026. According to Chinese news outlet, NE-Time, GBT aims to launch the “world’s first …

Solid-state EV batteries with 800 miles of range become a reality

Solid-state EV batteries with 800 miles of range become a reality

Published by skeptic

Solid-state batteries are called the “holy grail” of EV battery tech for a reason, right? The new battery tech is quickly moving from the lab to the real world, with some claiming to unlock over 800 miles of driving range. Solid-state EV batteries promise to double driving range Several major Chinese automakers have begun, or plan to begin, testing solid-state batteries in vehicles over the next few months. BYD and CATL, which accounted for over 55% of global EV battery sales last year, both plan to begin small-scale production in 2027. Meanwhile, the new battery tech is already making its way to the real world. Earlier this year, Dongfeng Motors announced it had begun testing a solid-state battery prototype in the extreme cold. The battery boasted an energy density of 350 Wh/kg, which Dongfeng said provides a range of over 1,000 km (620 miles) under CLTC conditions. Advertisement – scroll for more content Changan Automobile said it will begin trial installations before the end of Q3 2026. With an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, the …

Donut Lab solid-state battery retains 97.7% charge after 10 days in third test

Donut Lab solid-state battery retains 97.7% charge after 10 days in third test

Published by skeptic

Donut Lab has released its third independent test report from VTT, the Finnish Technical Research Centre, and it confirms another claim: the solid-state battery retains 97.7% of its charged capacity after sitting idle for 10 days. The new report (VTT-CR-00125-26) adds self-discharge performance to the growing list of independently verified specs — but three reports in, the two most extraordinary claims remain completely untested. What the third VTT report shows The self-discharge test followed a straightforward methodology. VTT first ran an initial capacity test on cell DL1, measuring a discharge capacity of 26.5 Ah at a 1C rate, above the nominal 26 Ah spec provided by Donut Lab and notably higher than the 24.9 Ah measured on a different cell in the previous high-temperature test. For the self-discharge test itself, VTT charged the cell to approximately 50% state of charge (13.335 Ah), then left it idle for 240 hours (10 days) at ambient temperature (22–28°C) while recording voltage every 10 seconds. After the idle period, VTT discharged the cell and recovered 13.029 Ah — 97.7% …

Japanese brand buys solid-state EV battery company, not Toyota

Japanese brand buys solid-state EV battery company, not Toyota

Published by skeptic

Another major Japanese automaker is jumping into the race for the “holy grail” of EV batteries after buying out an all-solid-state battery business. Suzuki buys all-solid-state EV battery company Suzuki Motor is the latest major Japanese automaker to bet on solid-state batteries for its upcoming electric vehicles. On March 4, Suzuki announced an agreement with Kanadevia Corp to acquire its all-solid-state EV battery business. Kanadevia is a leading Japanese industrial and engineering firm that began developing all-solid-state lithium-on batteries (AS-LiB) in 2006. Advertisement – scroll for more content The batteries have been deployed in real-world situations, even in space. In February 2022, Kanadevia and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched an all-solid-state battery to the International Space Station, marking the “world’s first” mission of its kind. The image shown below on the right was taken with a camera mounted on the spacecraft using the (AS-LiB) all-solid-state batteries. If you look closely enough, you can see Earth in the background. Kanadevia said its all-solid-state batteries offer superior safety and performance across a wide temperature range …

Donut solid-state batteries, Tesla engineer quits, and solar value

Donut solid-state batteries, Tesla engineer quits, and solar value

Published by skeptic

On today’s extraordinary episode of Quick Charge, we reflect on the fact that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and both Donut Labs AND Tesla are a long long way from turning everyone into believers. While Donut Labs’ allegedly groundbreaking solid state battery tech gets put to the test, Tesla engineer Victor Nechita, who served as Tesla’s vehicle program manager for the Cybercab, has announced he is leaving the company as part of the recent exodus of the brand’s top staff. Plus, a new study of 5,000 home sales showed that rooftop solar really does pay for itself – almost as soon as you put it in! Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. New episodes of Quick Charge are (allegedly) recorded several times per week, most weeks. We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage podcast series. Advertisement – scroll for more content Got …

Solid-state EV batteries debut in China, nearing 1,000 miles range

Solid-state EV batteries debut in China, nearing 1,000 miles range

Published by skeptic

Chinese battery manufacturers already account for well over 50% of the global market, but new battery types, including solid-state, are rolling out, promising to be safer, more efficient, and safer. Solid-state EV batteries set to launch in China in 2026 Changan Automobile, one of China’s “Big Four” state-owned carmakers, will begin deploying solid-state batteries in vehicles over the next few months. The Chinese auto giant announced on Tuesday that it will begin trial installations before the end of the third quarter. After unveiling its “Golden Bell” all-solid-state EV battery in late 2023, Changan said it plans to launch eight self-developed battery cells, including liquid, semi-solid, and solid-state by 2030. At the time, Changan said it was developing new electrolytes and key processes for semi and all-solid-state EV batteries. Advertisement – scroll for more content The all-solid-state EV battery has an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, enabling over 1,500 km (932 miles) CLTC driving range, the automaker previously said. Using AI-powered diagnostics, Changan said it improved safety by 70%. Changan showcases “Golden Bell” all-solid-state EV battery …

Big oil is betting big on Toyota to win the solid-state battery race

Big oil is betting big on Toyota to win the solid-state battery race

Published by skeptic

Toyota has been working on a solid-state pilot program with Japanese refining oil giant Idemitsu Kosan since 2023 — but we’re way past that now. The companies have decided to move ahead with a new factory to produce solid electrolyte for all-solid-state EV batteries. Toyota and Idemitsu Kosan first began collaborating on the development of mass production technology forsolid electrolytes back in October of 2023, focusing on sulfide solid electrolytes, which have long been considered a promising material to choice to achieve scale production of solid-state EV batteries. Sulfide solid electrolytes are characterized by softness and adhesiveness to other materials, two features that make them particularly suitable for mass production. As for why an oil company is getting involved in EVs, that’s because companies like Idemitsu Kosan sit on massive sulfur streams produced during fuel desulfurization, and converting that low-value sulfur into a high-margin material like lithium sulfide could be a once-in-a-generation win for the oil refining business the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Henry Ford decided the Model T would run on …

Why doesn’t my iPhone have a solid-state battery yet? I found out (and can’t even be mad)

Why doesn’t my iPhone have a solid-state battery yet? I found out (and can’t even be mad)

Published by skeptic

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Solid-state batteries have significant advantages over lithium-ion. At the top of the advantages list are increased safety and improved lifespan. The tech isn’t ready for the billions of batteries the industry would need. The other day, I reviewed a power bank with a solid-state battery at its core, rather than a lithium-ion battery. Solid-state batteries offer increased energy density, improved safety, and a longer lifespan. To demonstrate the improved safety profile, I opened the power bank and stabbed a screwdriver into a fully charged battery; apart from a few wisps of smoke, nothing happened. Also: I tested a solid-state portable battery for a week – now lithium-ion feels old school So, why aren’t our iPhones and other gadgets and gizmos powered by solid-state batteries? Before we answer that question, let’s look at what a solid-state battery is and how it differs from a lithium-ion battery.  Solid-state versus lithium-ion Solid-state batteries are next-generation rechargeable batteries that use solid electrolytes (the material that carries the …

QuantumScape opens Eagle Line pilot for solid-state production

QuantumScape opens Eagle Line pilot for solid-state production

Published by skeptic

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape is off and running in 2026, inaugurating its shiny new Eagle Line for pilot production. Eagle Line lays the groundwork for scaled solid-state battery production and will produce cells to support OEM customer sampling. QuantumScape ($QS) actually invited me to this Eagle Line inauguration. Still, we’re covering the news remotely, because I’m located quite a ways from the solid-state cell developer’s San Jose headquarters. Whether it’s in person or from the other side of the country, QuantumScape remains one of the most exciting solid-state developers to report on, and today’s Eagle line pilot inauguration news is no different. As we reported last December, QuantumScape announced another successful year of progress, hitting every one of its 2025 target goals. That included integrating its proprietary “Cobra” solid-state separator process into baseline production, thus laying the groundwork for higher-volume B1 sample production of QuantumScape’s QSE-5 solid-state lithium-metal cells QuantumScape capped off 2025 with one last key goal: installing the necessary equipment for its “Eagle Line,” which would soon begin highly automated pilot production of battery cells. On …