Umesh Tiwari

Donut Lab’s announcement at CES 2026 marked a true inflection point for the battery industry. With all-solid-state batteries delivering 400 Wh/kg, ultra-fast charging within 5 minutes, extreme safety, 100,000-cycle durability, no performance degradation at low and high temperatures, use of geopolitically insensitive, abundant materials, and real OEM deployment, the conversation has shifted from if to how fast the rest of the ecosystem can follow.

Lithium-ion batteries power devices, vehicles, and energy systems – and at their core lies a critical yet often overlooked component: the separator. More than just a thin membrane, it prevents internal short circuits, allows ion transport, and directly influences battery safety and efficiency.

On May 21, Malvern Panalytical hosted the Future Days: Focus on Battery virtual event, featuring a range of speakers from across industry and academia. Read on for a recap of Dr Xuehang Wang‘s session on new materials for high-rate energy storage. Looking for the video? Watch the recording of this session and more from Future Days: Battery Edition here.