Solid-state batteries are supposed to revolutionize transportation, including motorcycles and cars. Why? Compared to the current lithium-ion battery model, solid-state batteries promise higher energy density (smaller, lighter batteries with greater range), much faster charging, vastly improved safety (virtually no fire risk) and a much longer life (far beyond the number of charge cycles expected from lithium-ion batteries).
We thought they were years away, but Verge Motorcycles says the technology is here now, and you can buy one of their bikes very soon (this month?) featuring a solid-state battery and all of its advantages.
Here is the press release from Verge Motorcycles:
Verge Motorcycles makes history: First motorcycles with solid-state battery technology are now available for customers
By changing solid-state battery technology into customer-ready motorcycles, Verge has unlocked ten-minute charging and up to 370 miles of range. It is an exceptional breakthrough as a long-awaited innovation in battery technology, driven by Verge, makes its way onto public roads.
Known for the groundbreaking hubless in-wheel motor, technology company and electric motorcycle manufacturer Verge Motorcycles is once again pushing the boundaries of what motorcycling can be. The company has become the first in the world to introduce solid-state battery technology into production motorcycles—marking a significant milestone not only for two-wheeled transport, but for electric vehicles more broadly. The unprecedented battery technology, developed and tested together with technology company Donut Lab, enables a significantly fast charging time and nearly doubles the range on a single charge.
Solid-state batteries have been a prominent topic in discussions related to the automotive industry in recent years. They are made from a solid electrolyte, which makes them significantly safer and more efficient than lithium-ion batteries made from liquid or gel electrolytes. Many major vehicle manufacturers have been testing solid-state technology in their own vehicles, and wider adoption in production vehicles is expected going into the next decade. Verge is one step ahead, as the company is set to deliver the first motorcycles equipped with solid-state batteries to its customers in the coming months.
“The use of solid state battery technology to motorcycles in production is a historic breakthrough shaking up the entire automotive industry. Verge’s close development work with Donut Lab, along with battery pack testing and validation, has reached the point where we can implement the technology in the new evolution of Verge TS Pro model, which is already in production and available on Verge’s website and in our showroom stores,” says Tuomo Lehtimäki, CEO of Verge Motorcycles.
The company released the next evolution of Verge TS Pro at the beginning of last November at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.
Unprecedented Features Transform the Riding Experience
Solid-state battery technology and the other exceptional features make the Verge TS Pro every motorcyclist’s dream. Its next generation Donut 2.0 motor is 50% lighter than its predecessor while delivering the same power and torque (1,000 Nm), enabling significantly improved efficiency, stability, and handling. The bike accelerates from 0–62 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
The new battery pack further revolutionizes the riding experience by enabling ultra-fast charging: an additional 186 miles of range in just ten minutes. Current battery technologies typically support only thousands of charging cycles, whereas Verge’s solid-state battery lasts for the entire lifetime of the motorcycle. The upgraded battery pack does not affect the motorcycle’s price, making it a highly cost-effective option for customers as well.
In addition, Verge’s customers can choose an extended-range battery pack at the time of purchase, which increases the range from 217 miles up to 370 miles on a single charge — which is almost double the additional range.
“Donut Lab’s next-generation solid-state battery technology is a result of years of development work. We are now ready to bring truly exceptional technology to the electric mobility market, of which Verge’s motorcycle is an excellent first example. And this is just the beginning — our battery technology can be used in all types of vehicles, from motorcycles and passenger cars to trucks, robotics and stationary energy storage”, says Donut Lab CTO Ville Piippo.
Improved Safety and Sustainability
One of the most significant advantages of solid-state batteries is their safety. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, they do not catch fire, making them much safer for users and charging locations. The advanced battery packs also operate stably across all operating temperatures.
Verge’s solid-state batteries are also responsible. They are made from materials that are abundant worldwide, ensuring that material availability will not cause production issues.
For more information on Verge Motorcycles, please visit vergemotorcycles.com.
If this battery technology is as good as they claim, I don’t know why they’re messing around with electric motorcycles. Every battery company and auto manufacturer in the world should be beating a path to their door to get a piece of this technology.
I am certain that the future is electric. But in this case, my first thought is that I wonder what it takes to replace the rear tire?
It sure ain’t pretty. Video of some guys changing one here (about 7 mins in)
https://youtu.be/vQWLuFVfm7Q?si=o1eOLXPTrAf2lI6t
Interesting to see, not least because it was being done not 5mins away from my home. Though I’ve been to the English Electric shop to meet friends, I’ve not tried an electric bike yet. Both our cars are EV now, so I guess I should but…
Thank you for this video, SEVERELY interesting !
This motorcycle is a pretty good example of unnecessary technical innovation that is difficult to live with.
Very nice motorbike peeps who need a larger door.
Ignore the bike as a while as it’s not the story here – an expensive slightly odd looking overweight beast with a heavy rear wheel setup is never going to sell many units. The solid state battery is a global game changer – electric motorbikes as a whole become viable. Cars now have double their range. Trucks can electrify etc etc. If their claims are true, every single manufacturer of electric vehicles will be knocking at their door.
I will be interested to see if they really did solve the dendrite problem. Time will tell. Also I wonder if they give you the ability to tune the motor controller to your liking.
Dendrites and batteries are linked regarding lithium use, according to the web. This news release suggests that the battery chemicals are less exotic. Lithium or not?
Dendrites are why solid state batteries have yet to reach the market. Toyota said they were going to have a solid state battery car on the market at least five years ago. Hasn’t happened. It has been a very difficult problem. One would think that one would have heard about a viable solid state battery before one would hear about a motorcycle being marketed with one
Agreed
Dendrites are everywhere, both in nature and man made. I doubt a cure has been found when the basis for growth is always a differential energy. Sooo . . . what’s up doc ?
Something else to consider is growth timing as well as rate.
A surprise announcement, but makes sense considering minimal use with the prototype battery in a niche ‘bike!
Electrek has an article about Donut Lab and their claims about the battery in this bike. It is claimed to be lighter and have a 400 Wh/Kg power density. The best lithium battery is about 250 Wh/Kg. It’s also claimed to have a 100,000 cycle life. The best lithium being 2000. The claim is a five minute charge time.It also contains no rare materials and is easy and fast to manufacture and scale. If any of this is remotely true the battery will change everything, even aircraft. The founder of the company is a real guy who already has made some impressive work. Donut is parent to Verge. I suppose the motorcycle is a sort of proof of concept. They are not accepting investment until the batteries have been proven. So these claims so far kind of pass a preliminary smell test. The 100,000 cycle life means the batteries would outlive several cars, and/or people. The battery is being third party tested right now and we will know if the disruptive battery of the future is really here by springtime. Heady time for electric fans. I’m a dabbler and not really a fan. But if my doctor hadn’t banned me from popcorn I would be munching away.
Good to see they’re making progress on the battery technology, but why do most e- bikes have to look so weird? Seems to me they almost all miss the mark on aesthetics. Also, that price is going to be a huge barrier for most e-bike enthusiasts.
Would rather see a sport/gt touring version with luggage capability. Price for a standard needs to come down to $20k and a GT model around $25k before I am remotely interested. Being able to run the the store and grab a couple bags of groceries and carry them home is a must. Look forward to real world mile per charge tests.
The 61” wheelbase and 507 lbs don’t seem appealing.
I love the concept, but I’d be hesitant to trust that exposed rear wheel drive train to our New England weather. I also wonder, in the case of apartment heavy cities, if the batteries can be removed for charging or if we are still circling our neighborhoods for charging stations. Sitting in a locked car is far different than sitting exposed waiting for a bike to charge. On the plus side, I imagine that there is less tuning and maintenance on a seemingly simpler e-motorcycle.
Of course, this all remains to be seen and everything is subjective to price. As a rider who rode the same bike (1985 Yamaha Maxim 700) for nearly 3 decades, I can say that no matter how much you love the reliability (one time in the shop – for a fuse), few people are tied to their ride for life. In a region with 4 vastly different seasons, I am only willing to invest so much. If it costs as much as a Gold Wing, I’m going to buy a Gold Wing.
30 years and one shop visit for a street bike is pretty darn good.
How much did the fuse cost ?
Joe, very good points of concern. I recently took a very close look at an e-bike, which I still consider the best on the market for a reasonable price and range, but had to walk away, for some of the reasons you mentioned. So, here’s my take.
1. Any e-bike must have the design awareness to provide removable batteries, for ANY number of useful reasons.
2. There should be more than one to divide up the total weight for removal.
3. Any on board charger should not be part of the battery package. Again for removal weight considerations.
4. A standalone indoor charger should be available for those peeps that do not have an outside electrical source.
5. A belt drive is a very good choice for an e-bike, that is street only.
6. Cutesee unsprung rear suspension motors are not smart for any bike.
7. As usual, feet forward, flat seat, and for cripes sake NO sharp edge, straight line, cartoon corner design elements. Natural curves only, compound is OK. Oh yea a rear fender too.
That is all.
You are basically outlining some of the design elements of a cruiser. They are not as popular as they once were. But I think that you are probably right about making a cruiser out of this hardware. That hubless rear motor is going to produce a lot of gyro. That is not going to provide the sort of handling that a naked bike buyer is going to like. I think the upcoming reviews will be pointing that out. The cruiser fans would be more tolerant of that. However even they have more or less abandoned the super wide rear tire, which does similar things to how a bike handles. The hubless rear would also be an interesting design element for a cruiser. They would probably sell more of them. That would be a good thing because these bikes are going to serve as a test bed for the batteries. For my part, I would like these things to sell well enough that I will be able to find out if they did tackle the dendrite problem. If these bikes just disappear because poor handling naked bikes don’t sell. That would be something that would be a lot more difficult to track.
I should have written feet mid position ( normal ), not feet forward. Nothing else suggests cruiser, I would rather walk.
The whole flat seat thing did kind of give me a UMJ vibe. But forward pegs peg cruiser.
In any case, a rear wheel with a ton of gyro does not a happy UMJ rider make.
OK, the Finnish people are typically educated, ethical, practical people. You need to be to kick Nazi and Russia ass, and start the smartphone revolution. So I trust this bike and the company. It’s not a venture capital scam. What happens when I drive that heavy rear wheel through a deep mud puddle on a gravel road? And what does unsprung weight do to handling?
Unsprung weight is the weight of all the suspension components that are controlled by the springs and shocks. On the same bike, a lighter unsprung weight will improve the handling and ride.
The lower the unsprung weight, the less work the suspension has to do just to hold all the componensts together and move them up and down and left and right. Which makes it easier for the suspension to keep the wheels glued to pavement the way they’re supposed to be, the easier for the suspension to do what it’s designed for.
The bike design is odd considering how smart and talented the people behind this technology must be…
Get inspired by the Mission 2.0 bike and go from there with this alleged revolutionary battery.
As long as you’re not trying to steal their gold, Finns are decent blokes. Whatever you do, don’t shoot at their dogs. I’d sure rather have Sisu on my team than the opposing team.
This is nice and a welcomed improvement, except for the funny rear wheel / motor and $ 30 k. Over seas made, could be an issue too. Not China though.