Donut Lab has signed a partnership agreement with Watt Electric Vehicle Company to integrate its in-wheel electric drive units into Watt’s PACES (Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard) platform.
The companies say a functional prototype “skateboard” will be shown at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Donut Lab’s stand. This demonstrator is based on Watt’s low-volume aluminum “module-to-chassis” platform, with the battery integrated into the structure. Initial configuration is planned as a rear-axle, direct-drive layout using two in-wheel motors. A four-wheel-drive variant is scheduled to follow later in 2026.
According to the companies, the integration is intended to reduce overall system mass and packaging volume by removing conventional e-axle components and associated driveline hardware. Donut Lab says its architecture enables each wheel motor to be controlled independently, enabling torque vectoring via software, with motor control updates in the millisecond range.
Watt chief executive Neil Yates said the in-wheel motors, inverter and control software align with the PACES platform’s lightweight strategy and will expand the platform’s capability for performance-focused applications. Donut Lab chief executive Marko Lehtimäki added that the low mass of the PACES skateboard will help maximize the benefits of high-torque and high power-density in-wheel motors.
Watt and Donut Lab say that the combined skateboard is intended to support multiple vehicle types, ranging from off-road and sports applications to light commercial vehicles, using common underbody hardware. They also state that the simplified powertrain layout could reduce manufacturing and service complexity compared with more conventional EV drivetrains.
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