A startup by the title of Donut Lab used this week’s 2025 CES occasion in Las Vegas to current its modular in-wheel electrical motor know-how.
Referred to as the Donut Motor, the electrical motor household has been designed to work in quite a lot of automobile sorts, together with plane and ships, and in its most potent type is claimed to ship 845 hp.
What’s equally spectacular because the output is the burden of the motors. The 845-hp model measures 21 inches in diameter and is claimed to weigh solely 88 kilos, which is vital for efficiency metrics in automobiles, notably unsprung weight.
The in-wheel design means extra weight financial savings might be achieved by eliminating the necessity for elements like driveshafts in automobiles, and the low half rely of the motor design means prices might be decreased in comparison with standard electrical motors, as soon as manufacturing ramps up, in line with Donut Lab.
Verge Bike with Donut Motor in-wheel electrical motor
Smaller, much less highly effective variations of the Donut Motor weigh even much less. A 17-inch model rated at 201 hp was additionally proven. It’s designed for bikes and weighs solely 37 kilos. Donut Lab stated it’s engaged on a good smaller model measuring 12 inches and weighing solely eight kilos.
The corporate additionally described plans for a mini model that may measure lower than 5 inches in diameter and ship about 4 horsepower. The burden of this model is focused to be simply 3.3 kilos, which can make it splendid to be used in drones, the corporate stated.
Donut Lab hasn’t introduced any plans to produce its Donut Motor to a significant automaker, however Verge Bikes, a Finnish firm affiliated with Donut Lab, already gives an electrical motorbike powered by a Donut Motor. Verge Bikes, which has shops in Los Angeles and Santa Clara, makes use of the 17-inch motor and guarantees 0-60 mph acceleration in about 2.5 seconds for its TS Extremely motorbike.
