Verge Electric Motorcycles with Donut Lab Batteries Demonstrate Fast Charging
Electric motorcycles have not yet gained the same widespread acceptance as electric cars. However, with the advent of solid-state batteries on the horizon, the motorcycle industry is on the brink of a revolution. The leaders of this change could be Verge Motorcycles and the Finnish company Donut Lab.
Verge introduced its new TS Pro electric motorcycle earlier this year, promising up to 186 miles (299 km) of range in just 10 minutes when connected to a 200 kW charger. To demonstrate the real charging speed to the world, Donut Lab conducted a public test at a charging station.
Fast Charging Test Results
The test used a previous model of the Verge motorcycle, upgraded with a new battery pack from Donut Lab. The battery capacity is 18 kWh. During the test, a peak charging speed of over 100 kW was recorded.
This allowed the battery to be charged from 10% to 70% in just over 9 minutes, and from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes. According to Donut Lab, the new battery pack charges three times faster than the previous generation of Verge batteries.
Advantages of Air-Cooled Battery
At first glance, charging at a power of just over 100 kW may not seem impressive, especially compared to some Chinese systems that charge at up to 1500 kW. However, the key detail is that electric vehicles with ultra-fast charging use complex liquid cooling systems to prevent battery overheating.
This is the first test we have published for a wide audience to demonstrate the performance and behavior of several battery cells in a real vehicle environment. The high energy density of our battery technology allows for flexible battery pack design and excellent performance even in more challenging conditions, such as on motorcycles where space is limited and system simplicity is key.
In contrast, the Verge battery is air-cooled, which explains the somewhat lower charging speed figures. Donut Lab representatives also note that charging performance will improve when Verge fully optimizes the system for the new battery.
Progress in battery technology, especially with the transition to solid-state cells, opens up new possibilities for electric transport where weight and dimensions are critical. Successful real-world testing on a motorcycle, which is more demanding in terms of compactness and design simplicity than a car, indicates the practical suitability of the development. This could give an impetus not only to the motorcycle industry but also to other segments requiring lightweight, energy-dense batteries with effective thermal management.