Everything Electric Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: Everything Electric Podcast
Host: Robert Llewellyn (The Fully Charged Show)
Guests: Dave Borlace (YouTuber/energy expert), Dr. Euan McTurk (Battery electrochemist)
Episode Title: Donut Labs Solid-State Battery Could Change EVs Forever... If It's Real!
Date: March 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep dive into the most exciting (and controversial) recent stories in the world of batteries and electric vehicles, with a special focus on Donut Labs’ solid-state battery claims. Host Robert Llewellyn is joined by Dave Borlace and battery electrochemist Dr. Euan McTurk. Together, they discuss whether Donut Labs’ technology really stands to revolutionize electric vehicles—or if it’s just too good to be true. The conversation expands into cutting-edge charging technology, the future of sodium-ion batteries, data center energy consumption, and the practical realities of electrifying transport at scale.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Donut Labs Solid-State Battery Controversy

[03:20 - 19:18]

• Initial Reactions & Skepticism

  • Robert and both guests express strong skepticism, particularly about the outlandish claims—100,000 cycles, extremely fast charging, high energy density, and claims of extraordinary safety.
  • Dave humorously summarized the hype:

    "Has a man from Finland with questionable facial hair strategy produced a product made of moon dust and unicorn tears? ... This sounds like complete BS to me." (Dave Borlace, 04:22)

  • All agree: The 100,000 cycle claim is especially unbelievable and not credible without independent verification.
  • Euan points out that, while skepticism is warranted, Donut Labs has attracted some respected UK battery talent. This lends a small amount of credibility, but doesn’t resolve technical doubts.

• Technical Analysis

  • Euan details the challenge of simultaneously introducing multiple new components into a battery system; normally, improvements come one at a time.
  • Discusses the plausibility of high charge rates, but notes that some test data involved extreme conditions (e.g., operation at 90-100°C):

    "The higher the temperature, the lower the internal resistance... [But] charging inevitably gives off more heat than discharging." (Euan McTurk, 09:34)

  • The consensus: “Solid-state” may be true in terms of safety (non-flammable), but energy density and especially the 100,000 cycle claim remain dubious.

• On Commercialization and Transparency

  • Dave raises the red flag that, if these claims were real, Donut Labs would have shared samples with independent analysts (like Sandy Munro), and industry giants (CATL, BYD) would have snapped up the tech by now.
  • Euan adds that geopolitical considerations may play a role in Donut Labs seeking to build a European battery powerhouse, but scientific scrutiny should not be avoided.

2. What Battery Metrics Really Matter?

[13:01 - 16:59]

• Energy Density Explained
  • The group discusses "gravimetric" (watt-hours per kilogram) vs "volumetric" (watt-hours per liter) energy density.
  • Euan emphasizes that volumetric density often matters more for cars, as packaging space is limited.

    “When it comes to electric car batteries, watt-hours per kilogram... That's the sales patter that lures you in. But the tech-savvy tire kickers, they know it's watt-hours per liter that really matters.” (Euan McTurk, 16:47)

  • Donut Labs notably does not report volumetric density, a suspicious omission if aiming for automotive applications.

3. The Rise of Ultra-Fast Charging

[20:31 - 32:34]

• China's 1.5 Megawatt Flash Chargers

  • BYD and other Chinese brands are launching chargers that can deliver 1.5 MW to certain cars—an order of magnitude leap.
  • "You're talking in the real world; you'd stop there, you'd plug in for five minutes, get a cup of coffee and go on." (Robert, 22:11)

• Is Ultra-Fast Charging Practical?

  • Euan argues that for most people, ultra-rapid charging is unnecessary; home slow-charging is convenient for daily life and cheaper for consumers.
  • The duty cycle/dwell time at motorway services (about 25 minutes) already syncs with existing 300 kW chargers.
  • Ultra-fast chargers make most sense for logistics, delivery fleets, emergency vehicles, and in countries (like China) where high-power public charging is prevalent.

• Future-Proofing & The Urban Charging Gap

  • Dave mentions that while a majority of UK homes have off-street parking, fast charging may help sway consumers who rely on public infrastructure.
  • Euan notes that widespread, slow, AC charging—especially if bi-directional (vehicle-to-grid)—would best support both users and the grid in the long term:

    "Having those vehicles plugged in for longer is advantageous to the grid... we'd have countless gigawatt hours of additional storage." (Euan, 25:30)

• Fast Charging: Already ‘Too Fast’?

  • Both host and guests share anecdotes of today's chargers being so quick they outpace users' bathroom breaks and shopping.

    "Complaints from the new Tesla Model 3 drivers were that the superchargers were too fast. They were literally kind of running out of the service station, doing up their fly." (Euan, 30:40)

4. The Sodium-Ion Battery Revolution

[32:34 - 42:31]

• CATL’s Sodium-Ion Cell Economics

  • Discussed claim: $40/kWh cell cost—potentially a true game-changer for affordability.
  • Euan breaks down the major "families" of sodium-ion chemistries, their likely ingredients, and advantages/disadvantages (lifespan, cost, energy density).

    "Prussian blue... it's incredibly cheap materials, it's incredibly long-lasting... upwards of 10,000 cycles... the cost is so cheap." (Euan, 36:42)

  • Real-world examples: French hardware stores already selling sodium-ion powered screwdrivers.
  • Catl’s approach likely combines high life cycle chemistry with cost leadership, potentially enabling $19/kWh at scale (though energy density will remain lower than lithium-ion).

• Technical Challenges: Dendrite Formation

  • Sodium metal anodes can suffer from dendrites (metallic spikes that cause short circuits). Solid electrolytes and clever liquid electrolyte additives are helping to overcome this.

    “Solid state electrolytes are dendrite resistant... Even if they're using a liquid electrolyte, they'll probably have some clever additives in there..." (Euan, 41:28)

5. Safety & Bad Batteries: Disposable Vapes

[43:22 - 45:31]

• Hazards of Poorly Made Cells
  • Discussion on recent fires caused by faulty vape batteries—emphasizing the risks of low-quality manufacturing in consumer electronics.

    “Vapes are bombs in your pocket... Not only are they an environmental catastrophe, but they are a massive, massive health hazard.” (Euan, 45:31)

6. Data Centers & The Energy Consumption Debate

[46:19 - 52:48]

• Electric Cars vs. Data Centers
  • Robert voices frustration that past scaremongering about "EVs melting the grid" now ignores the massive, centralized loads of data centers—particularly those built for AI.

    “Suddenly data centers are really cool and amazing...and there is massive, massive energy use in one specific location.” (Robert, 46:19)

  • Dave points out: AI and data centers are part of inevitable societal trends toward ever-greater digitization, but their energy demands must be factored into the grid transition.
  • Euan insists data center builders must prove their energy is renewable and ideally, that they provide a grid benefit through storage and load timing.

    “What we need to see here is genuinely green generators...so that we don’t end up literally boiling our planet alive just because you wanted to make some amusing kind of AI slop photo.” (Euan, 50:46)

  • Reminder: Electrification’s real benefit is eliminated waste—replacing all current fossil energy isn’t needed, since electrified systems are much more efficient.

7. Closing Reflections: Batteries Are Changing Everything

[52:59 - End]

• The hosts and guests marvel at the accelerating and transformative nature of battery and charging technology:

  “That’s what I find exciting, that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning... It keeps coming back to batteries—for me, that’s where the biggest change is happening." (Robert, 53:01)

• Solar project example: 5 GW solar + batteries in Abu Dhabi now reliably delivers 1 GW round-the-clock—cheaper than gas turbines.
• Consensus: Major disruptive shifts are coming, but critical thinking and skepticism are needed as breakthrough claims emerge.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Donut Labs' Claims:

  "This sounds like complete BS to me... I'm not going to touch this with a bargepole."
  — Dave Borlace [04:22]

• On Real Energy Density for Cars:

  “Watt-hours per kilogram—that’s the sales patter... the tech savvy tire-kickers know it’s whatever’s per liter that really matters.”
  — Dr. Euan McTurk [16:47]

• On Ultra-Rapid Charging:

  “Complaints from new Tesla Model 3 drivers were that the superchargers were too fast. They were literally running out of the service station, doing up their fly!”
  — Dr. Euan McTurk [30:40]

• On Sodium-Ion Battery Economics:

  “Prussian blue... it’s incredibly cheap materials, it’s incredibly long-lasting... upwards of 10,000 cycles... the cost is so cheap.”
  — Dr. Euan McTurk [36:42]

• On Data Center Hype:

  "All these electric cars, if we all had electric cars, we'd melt the grid... then suddenly data centers are really cool and amazing, and...massive energy use in one specific location."
  — Robert Llewellyn [46:19]

Important Timestamps

• [03:20] Start of technical discussion – Donut Labs overview
• [04:22] Dave’s first impressions (“moon dust and unicorn tears”)
• [07:46] Robert hands over to Euan for technical perspective
• [09:34] Deep dive: Solid-state battery safety
• [13:01] Discussion on energy density (BYD, Tesla, CATL benchmarks)
• [16:47] Volumetric vs. gravimetric density explained
• [20:31] BYD’s 1.5 MW chargers; fast charging debate
• [25:30] Vehicle-to-grid and charging infrastructure future
• [32:34] CATL’s sodium-ion battery and chemistry breakdown
• [41:28] Sodium-ion dendrite challenge
• [43:22] Battery safety—vapes and consumer cells
• [46:19] Data center energy debate
• [53:01] Reflections on battery revolution and solar mega-projects

Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Informed, skeptical, technical, optimistic with a healthy dose of wit and practical realism.
• Summary: This episode offers an expert-yet-accessible look at battery innovation claims, cuts through hype with data and context, and balances technical curiosity with grounded skepticism. It's essential listening for anyone following the fast-moving world of batteries, EVs, and clean energy—as well as the challenges that come with electrifying everything.

If you missed the episode, this summary captures all major insights, skepticism, humor, and technical detail—no prior listening required.