Zero Motorcycles, a manufacturer of electric motorcycles founded in the USA in 2006 and now relocated to the Netherlands, has shattered the previous range record for an electric motorcycle by a significant margin. Last year, a Verge TS Pro from Verge Motorcycles achieved a record ride of just under 311 kilometres without stopping to charge. Now, a Zero DS from Zero Motorcycles has covered 436.5 km on a single battery charge.
In fact, it wasn’t just one machine from Zero Motorcycles that participated in the record attempt — three different models from the manufacturer took part. For a potential entry in the Guinness Book of Records, three riders set off on three standard electric motorcycles in the French-Italian Alpine region, heading south through France, over mountain passes, through villages, and along country roads all the way to the Mediterranean coast.
In the end, all three electric motorcycles surpassed the previous record of just under 311 kilometres: Louis Renaud rode his Zero SR/S for 350 kilometres, finishing his journey with 4% battery remaining. Jenny Brooks took the Zero DSR/X to 384 kilometres. For part of the route, she rode with the videographer as a passenger through torrential rain, covering an additional 15 kilometres even after the display showed a battery level of 0%.
Electric motorcycle encounters torrential rain just before the finish
However, Jelle Verstaen continued riding his Zero DS with Power Tank, mile after mile. Yet the final leg in the Camargue became extremely unpleasant when a severe storm swept over the region, bringing heavy rain for the last 100 kilometres. In the final 25 minutes, conditions worsened even further: “Gale-force crosswinds and torrential rain turned the final sprint into a battle against the elements,” as described by the electric motorcycle manufacturer.
Nevertheless, Jelle Verstaen kept riding the Zero DS until the battery was finally depleted and the electric motorcycle came to a stop at 436.5 kilometres. This means Verstaen surpassed the previous record by 125.8 kilometres, an improvement of more than 40%.
19.2 kWh battery capacity for the record
The Zero DS is an electric dual-sport motorcycle designed for combined use on the road and in light off-road terrain (enduro). The standard 15.6-kWh battery of the Zero DS, which offers an urban range of 249 kilometres, was supplemented for the record attempt with the separately available 3.6-kWh Power Tank, resulting in a total capacity of 19.2 kWh.
Jelle Verstaen and the team achieved the 436.5-kilometre range through a combination of the efficiency of the standard Zero DS and carefully planned riding techniques. A steady, moderate speed on quieter roads, minimal traffic during night driving, and the use of Alpine descents for energy recovery via regeneration all helped reduce consumption. Tyre pressure was also taken into account. Technically, the motorcycle benefits from a Z-Force battery with high energy density, a passively cooled interior permanent magnet motor, and a low-loss drivetrain. No special modifications were required for the range record.
