Hughes’ investigation acquired an help from Whistleblower Lauri Peltolathe previous Chief Industrial Officer (CCO) of Nordic Nano Group — the corporate supposedly partnered with Donut Lab to fabricate the batteries. Hughes says he additionally turned to “over 20 impartial battery specialists,” together with Julian Zahnow from the Fraunhofer Analysis Institute, who analyzed the precise voltage curves, cell growth knowledge, and electrochemical signatures to display that the “miracle solid-state” battery behaved precisely like an ordinary lithium-ion (NMC) battery cell.
It’s clear that Donut Lab’s CEO Marko Lehtimäki engaged in “authority laundering” by paying Finland’s extremely respected VTT Technical Analysis Centre to run sure exams — and solely these exams — to create the phantasm of legitimacy. As Electrek notesVTT by no means immediately addressed the 2 claims that mattered: the 400Wh/kg power density and the 100,000-cycle life.
Hughes additionally digs into the convoluted community of shell firms that Lehtimäki makes use of to obscure the inside workings on Donut Lab and the origins of its know-how. Hughes additionally breaks down Lehtimäki’s monetary dealings and fundraising strategies that would represent fraudulent misconduct. The intriguing and deeply researched 45-minute video is price an entire watch. And, as at all times, make sure to like and subscribe — Hughes is legit.
What occurs subsequent for Lehtimäki, Donut Lab, and its susceptible retail traders is unclear. However one maxim stays unbeaten: if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.
