Donut Lab is developing a multi-use platform for electric vehicles, looking to offer manufacturers a library of inter-compatible components that can be used to produce a variety of EVs including supercars, buses, drones and SUVs.
The goal is to improve performance through weight savings and affordable manufacturing processes by bringing all the components needed for an electric vehicle onto the single Donut platform and making it available to all industry operators, the company stated in a press release.
“We want to set a new standard for what electric transportation can achieve. The Donut platform creates entirely new opportunities for almost any industry,” says Ville Piippo, product director of Donut Lab. “In the future, those utilizing the platform will be able to select the components they want from a catalog and connect them with standard connectors, after which everything is ready. There is no need for compromises, since each component is top-class already as a standalone component, and together they take the vehicles themselves and their manufacturing to a whole new level.”
As a subsidiary of the motorcycle manufacturer Verge Motorcycles, one of the main components of the company’s technology platform is the donut-shaped motor that can be installed directly in the wheel, eliminating the need for a drivetrain.
Other highlighted components on the Donut platform include battery modules, computer units and vehicle control software. All will be available in a range of sizes and performance classes, and the modular architecture ensures that the components can be used to build various vehicles or even robots, according to the company.
Oruga, a Latvian company that manufactures electric vehicles designed for off-road driving, has used the Donut Lab platform in the development of its most recent model—a one-roller vehicle resembling a futuristic combination of a snowmobile and a motorcycle.
Meanwhile, the Australian company Hyper Q Aerospace also utilizes the Donut platform in its electric aircraft.
