Testing The World's First Solid-State Battery

Summary

In this video, Ryan Inis dives into the recent test results for Donut Lab’s solid-state battery, originally touted as a game-changer for the energy sector. After analyzing third-party data, he shifts his stance from a hopeful 1% chance to a highly skeptical 0.1%. The tests reveal that the battery is likely a lithium-ion cell with similar properties to conventional technologies, contradicting claims of no lithium use. Ryan highlights concerns about the battery’s cycle life, charging speeds, and safety limits. Despite the impressive results, he remains cautious, awaiting further validation to back up Donut Lab's claims.

Takeaways

• 😀 Donut Lab has announced a solid-state battery with revolutionary claims, including eliminating lithium, providing incredible ranges for electric vehicles, and lasting essentially forever.
• 😀 The new test results from VTT, a reputable Finnish research institute, suggest that the Donut Lab battery is likely a lithium-ion battery, not a solid-state battery as claimed.
• 😀 The 100,000 charge cycles promised by Donut Lab are physically impossible with current lithium-ion technology due to dendrite growth, which limits battery lifespan.
• 😀 Despite promising fast charging capabilities, the test results show that the battery requires longer charging times than originally stated.
• 😀 The battery's energy density is lower than previously advertised, with actual test results showing a capacity of 298 Wh/kg, compared to the claimed 400 Wh/kg.
• 😀 The VTT test report used voltage curves that match those of lithium-ion batteries, which suggests the Donut Lab battery uses similar technology.
• 😀 A crucial red flag in the charging behavior was the test showing that the battery exceeded 90°C during fast charging, which could be dangerous and affect the battery's longevity.
• 😀 Despite these issues, the battery still demonstrates impressive performance, with energy densities close to cutting-edge lithium-ion technology and fast charging capabilities.
• 😀 The 100,000 cycle life claim is questionable since testing the battery under these conditions would take over 4 years, which seems unlikely to have been achieved in the provided tests.
• 😀 Ryan Inis remains optimistic about the technology, but is skeptical that Donut Lab's battery can live up to its claims without further verification, such as future tear-downs and more rigorous tests.

Q & A

What is the main claim made by Donut Lab regarding their new battery?

Donut Lab claims that their new solid-state battery can revolutionize the energy sector by offering incredible ranges for electric vehicles, eliminating the need for lithium, and significantly extending the battery's lifespan—potentially lasting forever.

Why did the speaker, Ryan Inis, initially believe the Donut Lab battery had a small chance of being real?

Ryan Inis initially gave the Donut Lab battery only a 1% chance of being real because of the extraordinary claims being made about it, including the longevity and energy capacity that seemed too ambitious.

What caused Ryan Inis to revise his position on the Donut Lab battery?

After reviewing new third-party test results from VTT, Ryan Inis revised his position to give the Donut Lab battery a 0.1% chance of being real, as the test data indicated that it was most likely a lithium-ion battery, not a solid-state battery as claimed.

What test results were pivotal in Inis’s assessment of the battery?

The voltage curves and charging performance data were key to Inis's assessment. The voltage curve closely matched that of a standard lithium-ion battery, and the internal resistance and fast-charging behavior were consistent with lithium-ion technology.

What does Ryan Inis say about the claims regarding the absence of lithium in the battery?

Inis argues that the claim of a lithium-free battery is incorrect because the test data, particularly the voltage curves and internal resistance, strongly suggest that the battery is actually a lithium-ion battery.

What concerns does Ryan Inis raise about the claimed energy capacity of the Donut Lab battery?

Inis highlights a discrepancy between the reported energy capacity of 125W hours at CES and the test results, which show a capacity of only 94W hours. This difference raises concerns about the accuracy of the claims.

Why did Inis raise concerns about the charging speed of the Donut Lab battery?

Inis points out that while the Donut Lab battery is claimed to charge in 5.5 minutes, the tests showed that the battery could only safely charge at these high currents for short periods before reaching dangerous temperatures, exceeding 90°C in one instance.

What is the significance of the temperature concerns raised in the fast-charging tests?

The temperature concerns are significant because batteries generally have a safety limit on charging temperatures, usually around 60°C to 65°C. If the Donut Lab battery can charge at temperatures higher than that, it may compromise the battery's lifespan and safety.

How does Inis describe the VTT report's wording about the solid-state battery claim?

Inis notes that the VTT report's careful wording, such as referring to the battery as a 'solidate battery' without confirming its composition, suggests that the researchers were uncertain whether the battery is truly solid-state.

What would it take for Ryan Inis to reconsider his skepticism about the Donut Lab battery?

Inis states that if future tests prove the Donut Lab battery does not contain lithium and still exhibits the claimed performance characteristics, he would be willing to donate $5,000 to a charity of Donut Lab's choice.

What does Ryan Inis believe is the actual nature of the Donut Lab battery based on the test results?

Inis concludes that the Donut Lab battery is likely a high-energy-density nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery, capable of fast charging but operating close to the edge of safe conditions, and not a revolutionary solid-state battery.