Donut Lab lit the EV and energy storage industry on fire last week with its announcement of a 400 Wh/kg solid-state battery cell that can last for 100 years. At face value, if true, we are looking at the single most disruptive announcement in the history of the electric vehicle industry and energy storage as a whole.

We aren’t just talking about a better motorcycle battery. If the claims of a 5-minute charge, 100,000-cycle life, and ~400 Wh/kg energy density are accurate and scalable, as Donut Lab claims, this is the holy grail of energy storage.

Battery breakthrough announcements generally don’t catch fire like this, but Donut Lab’s did because it said that the cell was already in production and will be in a production vehicle, Verge’s electric motorcycle, this quarter. It gave credibility to the claim, pushing everyone to report on it.

Now, we have interviewed Donut Lab’s CEO and investigated the technology. At this point, it looks like either this battery changes the world within the next 3 months, or it will make the CEO look like a fool. In this article, we discuss the impact of the battery, whether real or not, as well as clues about the secret sauce behind its chemistry.

more…

Our mid-week Green Deals are shining a spotlight on MOD’s upgraded Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike that is down at its $3,499 low for a few days more while the brand’s New Year Sale lasts. Right behind it, we have another spotlight shining on EcoFlow’s current flash sale that ends January 15, particularly on the DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station at a new $1,999 low, among others. We also spotted Gotrax’s Eclipse Electric Scooter hitting a new low, as well as deals on Autel’s AC Lite Home 40A EV Charger returning to its lowest price, EGO’s 16-inch cordless chainsaw, a NACS to J1772 EV charger adapter, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals that are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX E10 Whole-Home Backup System pre-order promotion, Lectric’s latest New Year e-bike sale, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

more…

Honda wants to bring out the inner camper in all of us with a new “competitively priced” travel trailer. The Base Station Prototype, revealed on Wednesday, is designed to be towed by nearly any vehicle, including EVs.

more…

Ananda is taking a notably different approach to e-bike motors with the launch of its new M7000 Series, unveiled this week. Instead of pitching a single standout motor, Ananda is introducing what it calls a scalable mid-drive platform, one designed to underpin entire e-bike lineups across multiple segments, from aggressive eMTBs to everyday urban commuters.

more…