Donut Lab, a subsidiary of Verge Motorcycles, has unveiled a new modular platform for EV development that aims to streamline the manufacturing process across land, sea, and air applications. The system features interchangeable components designed to work together, potentially reducing vehicle development time from years to months.
At the core of the platform is a donut-shaped motor that can be installed directly in vehicle wheels, eliminating the need for a traditional drivetrain. The system also includes standardized battery modules, computer units, and vehicle control software, all available in various sizes and performance classes.
“When developing the Verge TS electric motorcycle, we learned how difficult and slow it is to build electric vehicles using traditional mechanisms,” said Marko Lehtimäki, CEO of Donut Lab. “Vehicles are built with components from different equipment manufacturers that aren’t designed to work together – integration work always takes up most of the time.”
The company claims its platform could reduce resource requirements for vehicle development by up to 95% compared to current methods. Manufacturers can use individual components within traditional vehicle designs or implement the complete system.
“In the future, those utilizing the platform will be able to select the components they want from a catalogue and connect them with standard connectors,” said Ville Piippo, product director of Donut Lab.
The platform has already attracted partnerships in various sectors. Latvian company Oruga is using the technology to develop an electric off-road vehicle that combines elements of snowmobiles and motorcycles. The prototype will be showcased at the Slush startup event in Helsinki. And Australian firm Hyper Q Aerospace is also incorporating the platform into its electric aircraft development.
“[Donut Lab’s] technology platform allows for unprecedented configuration and performance that no other competitor can offer,” said Oruga CEO Erick Pastor.
The launch comes as the electric transportation market is projected to grow from $550 billion to $4.4 trillion by 2032, according to industry research cited by Donut Lab. The platform’s applications could extend beyond traditional vehicles to include robots, helicopters, and specialized vehicles for space missions.
The modular system aims to address a key challenge in electric vehicle development: the time-consuming process of integrating components from multiple manufacturers. By providing pre-integrated components, Donut Lab hopes to accelerate the industry’s transition to electric propulsion across multiple sectors.
