At CES in Las Vegas Verge Motorcycles pulled a fast one on the EV world — not by promising the future, but by shipping it. The company unveiled TS Pro variants that swap conventional lithium‑ion cells for flat, phone‑sized solid‑state plates supplied by sister company Donut Lab, claiming range and charging performance that read like a wish list for long‑distance riders.
What Verge showed — and why it matters
Verge now offers TS Pro machines with much larger solid‑state packs. One headline figure doing the rounds: a 33.3‑kWh pack that Verge says yields roughly 373 miles (600 km) on a single charge. If that holds up in real world riding, it would put the TS Pro at the top of production two‑wheelers for range by a wide margin.
But range is only half the story. Verge and Donut Lab are pitching rapid top‑ups as the other game changer. Verge claims charging power up to 200 kW on the larger pack (100 kW on a smaller option) that can add hundreds of kilometers in minutes — the company’s marketing materials and spokespeople suggest dramatic 10‑minute gains for meaningful range. That combination — much higher energy density plus high‑speed charging — is the reason solid‑state batteries have been called the “holy grail” for EVs.
Tuomo Lehtimäki, Verge’s CEO and a Donut board member, told reporters the cells are being produced in Europe and “Donut Lab is delivering these battery cells to Verge Motorcycles.” The move away from cylindrical lithium cells to flat, rectangular plates also lets engineers pack space more efficiently and integrate cooling plates between layers.
The tech, in plain English
Solid‑state batteries replace the liquid or gel electrolyte found in lithium‑ion cells with a solid material — ceramics or specially engineered polymers or sulfide compounds. That sounds academic, but it translates into three practical benefits: higher energy density (more miles per kilogram), faster potential charging, and a reduced risk of thermal runaway (fire).
Verge’s approach emphasizes packaging: flat plates stacked across the motorcycle’s battery bay, with cooling fins and interleaved cooling plates to manage heat during fast charging. That layout avoids wasted volume and improves thermal control — a practical reason a bike can carry far more usable energy than before.
Two battery options, different tradeoffs
Verge is launching more than one solid‑state configuration. The company appears to be rolling out both a smaller pack (around 18 kWh) and a larger pack (roughly 30–33 kWh), with claimed 10‑minute charging gains and overall ranges that depend on capacity. Published specs vary slightly between presentations — a reminder that OEM figures are often a best‑case scenario until independent tests appear.
Beyond battery numbers, the TS Pro still packs Verge’s striking hubless rear wheel and a potent motor architecture: the bike’s recent performance figures included about 137 hp and nearly 1,000 Nm of torque at the motor — numbers that make the bike quick even with a heavy charge onboard.
Real‑world caveats
Bold claims need real‑world verification. Fast charging at 100–200 kW depends on access to high‑power DC infrastructure — something unevenly available outside high‑traffic corridors. Thermal management, longevity, and charge cycle degradation will be watched closely; solid‑state chemistry has made big strides but scaling manufacturing reliably and cheaply remains the industry’s toughest problem.
Cost is another factor. Verge lists US$34,900 (before taxes and fees) for high‑spec TS Pro builds — expensive, but not wildly out of line for boutique electric performance bikes. Wider adoption will hinge on whether suppliers can bring per‑kWh costs down and whether major automakers and infrastructure operators embrace the charging speeds solid‑state promises.
Where this fits in the bigger picture
Verge’s announcement is notable because it shows solid‑state tech migrating out of labs and into road‑legal products. It’s one thing for a lab car to log long distances; it’s another for a commercial motorcycle company to accept production supply, integrate new cell formats, and offer bikes to customers.
Across the industry, partnerships and scale‑up efforts are accelerating: material suppliers, automakers and battery firms are racing to solve the manufacturing and material challenges that have kept solid‑state from mass market roll‑out until now. If those pieces fall into place, the result would ripple across EVs, from commuter scooters to long‑haul trucks.
Small company, big implications
There’s something quietly disruptive about this story: a relatively small Finnish firm and its engineering sibling building a credible solid‑state product and taking orders. That doesn’t mean legacy OEMs are out of the game — far from it — but it does underscore that innovation can come from nimble players who stitch together new chemistry, clever packaging and radical motor design.
Verge says updated TS Pro orders are open now, with shipments expected in early 2026. Until independent road tests and long‑term durability data arrive, the numbers should be treated as promising but provisional. Still: whether you care about riding longer without detours or simply enjoy the idea of a near‑silent, hubless motorship with the sort of battery that once lived only in slide decks, this is a development worth watching — and faster than most expected.