Finnish startup Donut Lab showcased a groundbreaking family of wheel hub motors at CES 2025, including a 630 kW variant designed for cars. The innovative electric drives are poised to revolutionize vehicle powertrain design with unmatched torque and power density.
Headquartered near Helsinki, Donut Lab is a subsidiary of Verge Motorcycles, known for its Verge TS electric motorbike featuring a signature “donut motor” that leaves the rear wheel hollow. Building on this concept, Donut Lab has expanded its technology to accommodate a range of vehicles, boasting exceptional specifications. The car-specific wheel hub motor fits a 21-inch tire, weighs 40 kilograms, produces 4,300 Nm of torque, and delivers 630 kW of output.
A vehicle equipped with two of these motors could achieve a combined output of 1,260 kW, positioning it firmly in the hypercar category. For comparison, Rimac’s Nevera generates 1,408 kW with four internal electric motors. At CES, Donut Lab presented five versions of its motors tailored to various applications, including:
- Cars: 630 kW
- Lorries: 200 kW
- Motorbikes: 150 kW
- Electric scooters/mopeds: 15 kW
- Drones (mini donut): 3 kW
“This is the first electric motor that truly responds to the current requirements of electric vehicles and opens doors to completely new types of solutions,” said CEO Marko Lehtimäki.
By integrating the motor directly into the wheel, Donut Lab eliminates the need for power transmissions, which reduces vehicle weight and simplifies manufacturing. The modular Donut platform also offers complementary components such as battery modules, computer units, and control software, enabling manufacturers to mix and match components for streamlined assembly.
“Our mission is to deliver cost-effective, high-performance solutions that weren’t previously possible,” Lehtimäki added. Donut Lab’s innovative approach could yield substantial cost savings for manufacturers by reducing active material usage while maintaining high performance.
