Donut Lab: 10 Key Things You Must Know

Overview

Donut Lab is a pioneering Finnish technology company revolutionizing electric vehicle (EV) propulsion with its innovative in-wheel motor technology. Founded as a spin-off from Verge Motorcycles, Donut Lab has developed the world’s first complete EV hardware platform featuring the groundbreaking "Donut Motor" — a hollow, donut-shaped in-wheel motor that delivers unparalleled torque and power density while drastically reducing complexity, weight, and production costs. This platform not only accelerates electric vehicle development but also expands possibilities across industries including automotive, aerospace, marine, and robotics. This article uncovers ten key insights about Donut Lab, revealing its genesis, technology, applications, and vision for the future of electric mobility.

1. Origins and Vision

Donut Lab emerged from the success of Verge Motorcycles, a company known for its hubless electric motorcycles with record-breaking performance. Recognizing the challenges in integrating EV components sourced from different manufacturers, Donut Lab was founded in 2024 to provide a unified hardware and software platform that accelerates EV production while improving performance and reliability. The company’s mission is to redefine electric mobility by developing components designed to work seamlessly together, drastically reducing development time and costs for manufacturers across diverse sectors.

2. The Donut Motor: A Technological Marvel

At the heart of Donut Lab’s innovation is the Donut Motor, the world’s first commercially viable hollow in-wheel motor that integrates directly into a vehicle’s wheel rim. With maximum torque and power density, it delivers exceptional performance without adding significant unsprung mass — a critical factor in vehicle handling and ride quality. The direct-drive design eliminates traditional drivetrain components like axles and transmissions, reducing complexity, weight, and maintenance needs, while boosting efficiency and responsiveness.

3. Modular Platform for Versatile Vehicle Development

Beyond motors, Donut Lab provides a comprehensive modular platform comprising battery modules, AI-powered computing units, and adaptive vehicle control software. Designed for plug-and-play integration, this platform supports rapid development of electric vehicles spanning hypercars, SUVs, semi-trucks, motorcycles, drones, boats, and even space vehicles. Its modularity enables manufacturers to choose components tailored to their needs, ensuring scalability and versatility across industries.

4. Breakthrough Performance Metrics

Donut Lab’s 21-inch automotive motor produces an astounding 630 kW (845 hp) of power and 4,300 Nm of torque, weighing only 40 kg — unmatched by any existing in-wheel motor on the market. Other models include a 17-inch motorcycle motor delivering 150 kW and 1,200 Nm at just 21 kg, a 12-inch scooter motor, and a compact 120mm drone motor. This family of five motor sizes caters to different applications while maintaining exceptional power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios, positioning Donut Lab at the forefront of EV propulsion technology.

5. Tackling Unsprung Mass — A Historic Challenge

Historically, integrating motors into wheels added excessive unsprung mass, which negatively affected driving dynamics and limited the adoption of in-wheel motors. Donut Lab overcame this by maximizing torque and power density, making the motor’s weight so low and performance so high that the traditionally problematic unsprung mass becomes imperceptible. This innovation enables improved vehicle stability and control without sacrificing the benefits of direct wheel drive.

6. Impact on Vehicle Design and Manufacturing

By removing the need for complex drivetrains, Donut Lab’s Donut Motor and platform simplify vehicle architecture. This leads to substantial reductions in the number of propulsion components—up to 75% less—cutting vehicle weight by dozens of kilograms and saving over €2,000 in the bill of materials for example in compact SUVs. The streamlined design accelerates manufacturing, lowers warranty and maintenance costs, and frees up space for additional cargo or passenger comfort.

7. Applications Across Multiple Industries

The Donut Platform’s flexibility extends well beyond passenger vehicles. It supports applications in aviation by providing lightweight, high-torque motors capable of precise lift and maneuverability. Marine vessels benefit from efficient, robust propulsion. Robotics gain from the platform’s high-precision control and energy efficiency, and even space exploration leverages the motor’s lightweight, high-efficiency characteristics for robotic missions and specialized vehicles in space environments.

8. Software and AI Integration

Donut Lab complements its hardware with advanced software solutions, including AI-ready computing units and software-defined hardware approaches. These enable real-time motor control at millisecond intervals, delivering unparalleled driving precision and responsiveness. Moreover, Donut Lab is developing a no-code software platform that dramatically reduces software development time for EV control systems by up to tenfold, enhancing safety and streamlining production.

9. Recent Funding and Growth

As of July 2025, Donut Lab has raised €25 million in seed funding to expand its R&D operations and scale manufacturing, including establishing a research facility in Chippenham, UK. The company has signed over ten commercial contracts with OEMs across automotive, aerospace, and defense sectors. Notably, tech visionary Risto Siilasmaa, former Nokia chairman, has joined the board, underscoring investor confidence in Donut Lab’s disruptive potential.

10. Looking Forward: The Future of Mobility

Donut Lab envisions a future where EV manufacturing is dramatically faster, more affordable, and more innovative. By offering a unified platform that brings together advanced motors, batteries, software, and control units, the company aims to empower manufacturers—from startups to industry giants—to build high-performance electric vehicles for land, sea, air, and beyond. This vision positions Donut Lab as a catalyst for the next generation of electric mobility solutions that are lighter, more efficient, and versatile.

Conclusion

Donut Lab is reshaping the landscape of electric vehicle technology with its transformative in-wheel motor and modular EV platform. Its innovative approach eliminates traditional drivetrain complexities, enabling extraordinary performance while reducing costs, weight, and development time. Serving a diverse range of industries, Donut Lab’s technology promises to extend the benefits of electrification far beyond personal cars to drones, boats, aerospace, and robotics. As the company scales and integrates advanced software solutions, Donut Lab stands poised to revolutionize how vehicles are designed, built, and experienced worldwide. The question remains: how soon will this "donut" reshape every wheel on Earth and beyond?