Tron-style hubless electric motorcycles have made the rounds as concepts and Instagram clickbait for years, but like flying cars, they always seemed just out of reach. That changed last year when Verge (formerly RMK) began shipping its outrageous TS and TS Pro, and since then, the Finnish manufacturer hasn’t rested on its laurels. At CES 2023, Verge showed up with the TS Ultra, an upgraded version of the TS that pushes it to ever more unimaginable levels of power.
Though it looks nearly identical to its predecessors, a new powertrain elevates horsepower from the unique patented hub motor to 201 horsepower, nearly double the 107 horsepower of the older TS, and still a huge leap up from 137 hp in the TS Pro. Torque specs are even more eye-popping, up from an already excessive 737 ft-lb to 885 ft-lb, closer to what you would find on turbodiesel pickup than a motorcycle, or even a car.
New battery chemistry also boosts charging speeds to 50kW, dropping charging times to just 25 minutes for the 21kWh battery pack. Range remains identical to the older model at 233 miles.
Verge’s patented hubless motor, which also gives the bike its distinctive look, remains the special sauce. The entire rim of the wheel acts as the motor. That eliminates the need for a belt or a chain, and because there is no motor in the chassis, the heavy lithium-ion batteries can be slung as low as possible for better handling.
As you’d expect for a bespoke Finnish motorcycle with unique technology, none of this comes cheap. With truck-like power comes the truck-like price of $45,000, available for preorder now. Verge has already shipped “hundreds” of the original TS, and hopes to break into the thousands in 2023.
Volkswagen’s newest EVs in China are making its American and European models look unusually conservative.
With Xpeng’s help, VW has introduced 800-volt charging and advanced urban driving assistance. The new VEGA technology package brings its locally developed vehicle platforms and CEA electronic architecture under one umbrella. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen intends to update VEGA every three months. Western buyers can find pieces of that package, but not the whole thing in a Volkswagen.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?