Is Range Anxiety Finally Ending?
On October 14, 2026, a Finnish journalist named Jarno Lindroos did something no one had ever done before. He rode an electric motorcycle 271 miles on a single charge — and he did it in real-world conditions, on public roads, without any special modifications.
The motorcycle was the Verge TS Pro, a hubless-rear-wheel electric bike built by Finnish manufacturer Verge Motorcycles. The ride took 13 hours and 47 minutes, traversing from Helsinki to Tampere and back on a route that mixed highway cruising, city traffic, and rural roads. When Lindroos finally plugged in, the battery still had 7% remaining.
The previous record for an electric motorcycle range was around 200 miles. The Verge TS Pro didn’t just beat it — it obliterated it.
The Ride: 13 Hours, 271 Miles, 7% Remaining
Lindroos’s route was designed to simulate real-world riding conditions. It included:
Highway segments at 60-70 mph
City traffic through Helsinki and Tampere
Rural roads with elevation changes
Regenerative braking on downhill sections
He rode at a steady pace, avoiding the aggressive acceleration that drains EV batteries. He used the bike’s regenerative braking system to recover energy on deceleration. And he monitored his battery consumption obsessively, adjusting his riding style to maximise range.
“This wasn’t a publicity stunt,” Lindroos said afterward. “I wanted to see what was actually possible. I wanted to know if I could ride an electric motorcycle from Helsinki to Tampere and back without worrying about charging.”
The answer was yes.
The Motorcycle: Verge TS Pro
The Verge TS Pro is not a typical electric motorcycle. It was first unveiled in 2019 and entered production in 2024, and its most distinctive feature is the hubless rear wheel — the motor is integrated into the rim itself, eliminating the need for a traditional hub and chain drive.
The specs are impressive:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Motor | Integrated rim motor, 107 hp (80 kW) |
| Torque | 885 lb-ft (1,200 Nm) |
| Battery | 21.8 kWh (usable) |
| Range | Up to 217 miles (WLTP) — extended to 271 in record ride |
| 0-60 mph | 3.5 seconds |
| Top Speed | 124 mph |
| Weight | 518 lbs (235 kg) |
| Charging | 100 kW DC fast charging (10-80% in 25 minutes) |
The TS Pro’s range claim under WLTP testing is 217 miles. Lindroos’s 271-mile ride exceeded that by 25%. The difference comes down to riding style, route selection, and the efficiency of the hubless motor design.
Why the Hubless Motor Matters
The Verge TS Pro’s hubless rear wheel isn’t just a design gimmick. It’s a fundamentally different approach to electric motorcycle engineering.
In a traditional electric motorcycle, the motor sits in the frame and drives the rear wheel through a belt or chain. That drivetrain adds weight, complexity, and mechanical losses — energy is lost to friction in every link of the chain.
Verge’s design eliminates the chain entirely. The motor is built into the rim, directly driving the wheel. The result is fewer moving parts, less weight, and greater efficiency. Verge claims the hubless design improves energy efficiency by up to 15% compared to conventional electric motorcycles.
The design also frees up space in the frame, allowing for a larger battery pack. The TS Pro’s 21.8 kWh battery is one of the largest in the electric motorcycle market — comparable to the battery in a small electric car.
How It Compares to Other Electric Motorcycles
The Verge TS Pro’s 271-mile range puts it in a different league from most electric motorcycles.
| Model | Range (claimed) | Battery |
|---|---|---|
| Verge TS Pro | 217 miles (WLTP) / 271 (record) | 21.8 kWh |
| Zero DSR/X | 180 miles (city) | 17.3 kWh |
| LiveWire One | 146 miles (city) | 15.4 kWh |
| Energica Experia | 261 miles (city) | 22.5 kWh |
| Harley-Davidson LiveWire | 146 miles (city) | 15.4 kWh |
Sources: Manufacturer specifications, Electrek
The Energica Experia, with its 22.5 kWh battery, claims a slightly higher city range than the Verge. But the Verge’s record-setting ride was achieved on a mixed route, not just city streets — making it a more realistic demonstration of real-world capability.
The Charging Question
Range is only half the equation. For electric motorcycles to be truly practical, they need to charge quickly.
The Verge TS Pro supports 100 kW DC fast charging, which can take the battery from 10% to 80% in about 25 minutes. That’s significantly faster than most electric motorcycles, which typically charge at 20-50 kW.
The challenge is infrastructure. DC fast chargers for motorcycles are still rare in most parts of the world. Most public charging stations are designed for cars, with cables that are too short or connectors that aren’t compatible.
Verge has partnered with charging networks in Europe to expand motorcycle-specific fast charging, but the rollout is still in its early stages.
Is Range Anxiety Finally Ending?
The short answer is: for this motorcycle, yes. For the broader market, not yet.
The Verge TS Pro proves that 270+ miles of real-world range is achievable on an electric motorcycle. It proves that the technology exists to build a bike that can handle long-distance touring without constant charging stops. And it proves that the hubless motor design delivers genuine efficiency gains.
But the TS Pro is expensive. It starts at €26,900 (approximately $29,000) in Europe — nearly twice the price of a comparable gas-powered touring motorcycle. It’s a premium product for early adopters, not a mass-market solution.
The bigger issue is infrastructure. Even with a 271-mile range, riders need reliable fast charging for longer journeys. Until that infrastructure exists, range anxiety will persist — not because the bikes can’t go the distance, but because riders can’t be confident they’ll find a charger when they need one.
That said, the trajectory is clear. Battery technology is improving. Charging networks are expanding. And manufacturers are investing in electric motorcycles that can genuinely replace gas-powered bikes for everyday use.
The Verge TS Pro’s record ride isn’t the end of range anxiety. But it’s a milestone — proof that the technology has arrived, and that the limitations we once accepted are no longer inevitable.
What Comes Next
Verge Motorcycles has announced that it will use the data from Lindroos’s record ride to refine its battery management software and improve future models. The company is also expanding its charging partnerships in Europe and North America.
“We wanted to prove that electric motorcycles can go the distance,” said Verge CEO Tuomo Lehtimäki. “Now we want to make that range accessible to more riders.”
The TS Pro is available now in Europe, with North American deliveries expected in early 2027.
The Verge TS Pro’s 271-mile
ride is a genuine breakthrough. It’s the longest distance ever covered by an electric motorcycle on a single charge, achieved in real-world conditions by a real rider. It proves that the technology exists to build electric motorcycles that can handle long-distance touring without compromise.
But range anxiety isn’t just about the bike. It’s about confidence — the confidence that you can go where you want to go, when you want to go, without worrying about where your next charge will come from.
The Verge TS Pro delivers that confidence for the rider who can afford it. For everyone else, the wait continues. But the wait is getting shorter.
The electric motorcycle era is arriving. And it’s going farther than anyone expected.
