Hubless electric motorcycles were considered a chimera until not too long ago, with various concepts making the rounds on the web but none actually coming to fruition. When the Verge TS was unveiled in prototype form back in 2018, it was considered the most revolutionary electric motorcycle due to the out-of-the-box design of its drivetrain.
In November of last year, the more powerful Verge TS Pro was announced, and at this year’s edition of the Consumer Electronics Show, Finnish company Verge Motorcycles is showcasing the final iteration of its TS electric motorcycle ahead of the highly-anticipated production. The Verge TS Ultra is basically an improved version of the already impressive TS and TS Pro models, which have only been available in certain European markets.
Though the futuristic Verge TS Ultra e-motorcycle is made by a relatively young company, it is more advanced than models coming from well-established names in the industry. It comes with a sleek, straightforward design with bold yet simple lines that highlight its body and an eye-catching hubless in-wheel motor. Yes, you read that right! The bike’s motor is hidden in the rim of the hubless rear wheel.
The futuristic integrated rim motor is obviously the pièce de résistance of this electric motorcycle and is said to peak at 201 horsepower (204 ps/150 kW) and a mind-blowing 1,200 Nm (885 ft-lb) of torque, made possible because the motor is placed so far out from the wheel’s axis of revolution. With these figures, it will propel the bike from 0 to 60 miles per hour (97 km) in just 2.5 seconds and allow it to hit a top speed of 124 mph (200 kph).
This innovative and complicated motor technology comes with various perks besides aesthetics and explosive performance. It also allows for a larger battery to be fitted and thus enables a longer range. Moreover, the bike’s center of gravity is lower, which improves handling.
Speaking of range, the company claims the Verge TS Ultra can travel up to 233 miles (375 km) on a single charge, though it did not reveal the battery pack size. This is most likely the urban range, but it still beats market leaders in this regard. Verge also claims the battery will juice up again in just 25 minutes with Fast Charging.
As far as we can tell, the Ultra version of this revolutionary e-bike also benefits from some visual upgrades. For instance, the bike’s stacked projector headlight is now flanked by a set of downforce-generating aerodynamic winglets on both sides.
Also, the e-bike now features a sportier monoposto seat and will be offered in matte versions of red, lime green, yellow, black and white, besides the gloss versions that we’ve seen on the previous two iterations. According to the company, all components of the bike are either made in-house at its factory or sourced from top-of-the-line European manufacturers.
Considering all these premium features, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Verge TS Ultra comes with a steep price tag of US$44,900. This is significantly pricier than the slightly lower-specced TS and TS Pro, which start at US$26,900 and US$29,900, respectively. The electric motorcycle is already available for pre-order with a $1,050 deposit, with first deliveries scheduled for Q4 2023. At least, that’s what the online configurator on Verge’s website seems to suggest.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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