Summary

Verge Motorcycles is a Finnish electric motorcycle company founded in 2018, best known for its hubless in-wheel motor design. The company is the launch customer and co-development partner for Donut Lab’s solid-state battery technology — effectively the same corporate family. The 2026 TS Pro Evolution is the vehicle through which Donut Lab’s cells are entering production, making Verge Motorcycles notable primarily as the real-world validation platform for one of the most scrutinised solid-state battery claims in the industry. Verge provides the use case; Donut Lab provides the power source; both are controlled by the same founders.

Key Facts

  • Founded: 2018
  • HQ: Finland
  • Type: Private
  • Founder: Marko Lehtimäki (also behind Donut Lab)
  • Key model: TS Pro Evolution (2026) — production motorcycle with solid-state battery
  • Battery options: 20.2 kWh (Standard) or 33.3 kWh (Large)
  • Range: 217 miles (Standard) or 370 miles (Large)
  • Charging: 200 kW max (Large pack) — adds 186 miles in under 10 minutes; 100 kW (Standard pack)
  • Drivetrain: Donut 2.0 hubless in-wheel motor; 136.8 hp; 737 lb-ft torque; 0–60 mph in 3.5 sec; top speed 124 mph
  • Price: From $29,900 (Standard battery); Large battery adds $5,000
  • Battery source: Donut Lab (same corporate group; cells built by Nordic Nano)

What It Is / How It Works

Verge Motorcycles’ primary technical innovation — predating the solid-state battery — is its hubless in-wheel motor architecture. The Donut motor integrates the rotor and drivetrain into the rear wheel itself, with no axle passing through the wheel’s centre. This design enables a distinctive aesthetic and a claimed 50% weight reduction in the Donut 2.0 versus its predecessor while maintaining 737 lb-ft of torque.

The corporate relationship between Verge Motorcycles and Donut Lab is not arm’s length. Both were founded by Marko Lehtimäki, and Donut Lab was effectively created to supply Verge with a solid-state battery that conventional suppliers couldn’t offer at the specification the motorcycle required. This means the TS Pro is simultaneously a product and a proof-of-concept test platform for Donut Lab’s technology.

The solid-state cell’s performance — particularly the verified 100 kW (5C) charging rate — is well suited to a motorcycle application where the battery pack is small relative to automotive use and high charge rates are a meaningful differentiator. The 370-mile range on the Large pack, if sustained in real-world conditions, would make the TS Pro one of the longest-range electric motorcycles in production.

The caveat that applies to Verge applies equally to Donut Lab: the verified claims (fast charging, thermal stability) are real, but the headline energy density (400 Wh/kg) and cycle life (100,000 cycles) have not been independently confirmed. The TS Pro is shipping and customers are taking delivery, so real-world durability data will accumulate over the coming years.

Notable Developments

  • 2026-Q1: TS Pro Evolution deliveries begin; claimed to be first production motorcycle with solid-state batteries.
  • 2026-03: Donut Lab pack-level test — 18 kWh pack at 100 kW (5C) for five minutes inside a TS Pro; independently confirmed by VTT.
  • 2026-01 (CES): TS Pro announced with 370-mile range and solid-state battery; immediate industry skepticism alongside genuine technical interest. (IEEE Spectrum)
  • Prior: Guinness World Record for electric motorcycle range; flagship stores opened in Monaco and California; F1 drivers Mika Häkkinen and Valtteri Bottas as brand ambassadors.
  • 2018: Company founded in Finland.

Key People

Marko Lehtimäki — Founder (Verge Motorcycles and Donut Lab)

  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/youngkasi
  • Role: Founding force behind both Verge Motorcycles and Donut Lab; serial entrepreneur driving the corporate group’s strategy
  • Education: University of Helsinki (Computer Science)
  • Career (reverse-chronological):
    • Donut Lab (~2024–present): CEO and co-founder
    • Cova Power: Chairman of the Board (concurrent/advisory)
    • Damon Motors (~2017–2024): Founder and CEO — led the Vancouver-based EV motorcycle startup for ~7 years
    • Verge Motorcycles (2018–present): Founder; day-to-day CEO role held by brother Tuomo Lehtimäki
  • ⚑ Overlap (corporate family): Same individual controls Donut Lab and Verge Motorcycles. Notably, his previous venture Damon Motors is a direct EV motorcycle competitor to Verge.

Tuomo Lehtimäki — CEO, Verge Motorcycles

  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tuomo-lehtimäki-3462b825
  • Role: CEO of Verge Motorcycles since January 2019; primary public spokesperson for vehicle announcements; brother of Marko Lehtimäki
  • Education: Oulun teknillinen oppilaitos (Mechatronics)
  • Career (reverse-chronological):
    • Verge Motorcycles (Jan 2019–present): CEO
    • RMV Tech Oy: Chairman (high-tech turbines and gas processing)
    • H.C. Petersen Finland Oy: CEO
    • Huutokaupat.com / Mezzoforte Oy: Key Account Manager
    • TR-Varaosat Oy: Entrepreneur (importing and sales)
  • Notes: No prior EV or battery industry background; operational/commercial CEO while Marko and Piippo drive the technology.

Ville Piippo — CTO, Verge Motorcycles (also CTO and Co-Founder, Donut Lab)

  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ville-piippo-b003877b
  • Role: CTO of Verge Motorcycles; simultaneously co-founder and CTO of Donut Lab; responsible for battery-pack integration into motorcycle platform
  • Education: Aalto University (product/industrial design)
  • Career (reverse-chronological):
    • Donut Lab / Verge Motorcycles (2018–present): Co-founder and CTO of both
    • Planmeca: Industrial Design Intern (Finnish dental/medical device manufacturer)
  • Notes: Piippo’s dual CTO role underscores the depth of corporate integration. Industrial design background — not electrochemistry — suggests his primary contribution is product and pack integration rather than cell chemistry.

People — Last Reviewed: 2026-03-24

Supply Chain Position

Verge Motorcycles operates at the OEM Integration layer — it is the vehicle integrator and launch customer for Donut Lab’s solid-state cells. Verge does not manufacture batteries; Donut Lab / Nordic Nano supply the cells, which Verge integrates into motorcycle packs. Upstream: Verge’s battery supply is 100% from the Donut Lab / Nordic Nano corporate family. Downstream: Verge sells directly to consumers (TS Pro, from $29,900). There are no disclosed third-party battery supplier relationships; Verge’s supply chain is entirely captive to its affiliated battery company. This creates concentration risk at the supply level — any manufacturing or validation problem at Donut Lab / Nordic Nano directly halts Verge’s ability to deliver vehicles.

Sources