Exciting peek into the future of cars as a phone-sized solid-state battery is already powering production EV
Published on Jan 05, 2026 at 9:02 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jan 05, 2026 at 9:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
The next big EV breakthrough might not be a flashy concept car or a wild new motor design; it might be a phone-sized solid-state battery you could almost slip into your pocket.
At CES 2026, Finnish mobility startup Donut Lab has been showing off a solid-state battery roughly the size of a smartphone, and it’s not just a lab demo.
The company says the battery is already powering a production electric vehicle, giving the tech world a rare glimpse at what could be the next giant leap for EVs.
It just goes to show what we’ve always known: The best things come in small packages.
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Phone-sized pocket rocket solid-state battery
Solid-state batteries have been hyped for years because they can store more energy in less space, charge faster, and improve safety compared to today’s lithium-ion packs, especially when it comes to EVs.
The catch has always been scaling them up because most solid-state tech has lived in prototypes, pilot lines, or research labs, and not a car that has to be speedy on the road.
That is why Donut Lab’s claim is such a big deal because instead of showing a futuristic promise, it’s showing something real and compact, with enough performance to run an actual real-life EV.
A battery that small can change how manufacturers think about packaging, weight distribution, and even vehicle design because less bulk means more freedom, and potentially more range without adding size.
Already powering production EV
The wild part is not just the potential, but the fact that it’s already in use.
Donut Lab says the battery is currently powering a production EV, which suggests the technology is far closer to real-world application than many people expected.
The company has also been gaining serious momentum, with reports saying it raised over $25 million and signed more than 10 commercial contracts with global vehicle makers.
That kind of interest hints that this is not a one-off stunt for CES, but part of a bigger push toward the next generation of EVs.
If a phone-sized solid-state battery can run a production EV today, imagine what happens when that same tech scales up.
Smaller packs, lighter vehicles, faster charging, and new design possibilities could be closer than the ‘someday’ timeline we usually hear.
Solid-state batteries have been the future for a long time – this feels like the moment the future has finally started arriving.
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Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a History and Journalism degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle. When she's not writing, she's at a country music concert or working on one of her many unfinished craft projects.
