I Donut Believe

Last year, I wrote about The State of Solid-State Batteries.

The solid-state battery promise of longer range, faster charging, lighter vehicles, and safer chemistry has felt ever-elusive.

However, in 2026, we’re starting to see glimmers of change.

Starting small, like really small, solid-state batteries are now a reality.

UAE-based start-up XPANCEO and French battery company ITEN unveiled a rice-grain-sized solid-state battery designed to power next-generation smart contact lenses and other internet-of-things-type wearable devices.

The battery is only a few cubic millimetres in size (that’s really small).

It uses a ceramic solid-state architecture to eliminate many of the swelling and fire risks associated with traditional lithium-ion cells.

This microbattery cannot leak or catch fire and will stop working if damaged.

It’s one small step for solid-state batteries, and one huge step for future wearable tech.

Chinese companies like CATL, SAIC, and BYD are approaching solid-state development differently from many other OEMs and battery startups.

Instead of waiting for a perfect “holy grail” solid-state solution, they are commercializing transitional semi-solid batteries today.

After launching the first mass-produced EV with a semi-solid-state battery last year, SAIC Motor is following it up with the new MG 4X electric SUV. Their new EV will go on sale in less than a week.

This week, Electrek reported that semi-solid-state batteries are beginning to enter the e-bike industry through brands including Ride1Up and Giant.

The batteries are reportedly already moving through certification testing ahead of production, with deliveries expected later this year.

E-bikes and motorcycles make a lot of sense for solid-state tech because the battery packs are smaller, thermal management is simpler, and manufacturing risks are lower.

It is much easier to validate a new chemistry in a lightweight bike-sized two-wheeler than in a 9,000-pound three-row SUV expected to survive Canadian winters for fifteen years (I’m looking at you Hummer EV).

At CES 2026, Finnish start-up Donut Lab garnered a lot of attention with its claims that it had developed a production-ready solid-state battery that it planned to drop into its sister company Verge’s electric motorcycles this year.

Donut suggested that their battery was capable of remarkable charging speeds, unusually high energy density, long cycle life, and lower costs than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

The internet reacted with skepticism.

Some engineers openly questioned whether all of Donut’s claims could coexist within the same battery architecture.

Others pointed to the lack of independent validation and warned that the industry has seen many battery breakthroughs collapse under real-world scaling pressure.

Donut responded with their own information website to counter the criticism at idonutbelieve.com.

Verge announced on March 31st that these mythical batteries were deployed in their latest production motorcycles. But there’s not a lot of supporting evidence that’s true.

As a result, the skepticism remains and a lot of folks still donut believe.

Meanwhile, battery chemistry continues to improve as we wait for solid-state technology to show up at a dealership near you.

Modern EVs already offer far better range, charging speeds, durability, and safety than most analysts predicted ten years ago.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry, in particular, is one of the quiet success stories of EV production because it delivers durability and affordability without requiring rarer rare-earth materials or breakthrough science that has yet to emerge.

That creates an interesting tension.

Solid-state batteries are gonna be great.

But there is also a legitimate question about whether we need them, since the current generation of batteries is already more than good enough for most vehicles and driving needs, and already addresses most folks’ range anxiety and fire safety concerns.

Now listen to some Stephen Stills, “Love The One You’re With”.

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