Zero Motorcycles now holds the Guinness World Records title for the longest journey by an electric motorbike on a single charge. Zero, founded in California and now headquartered in the Netherlands, says Belgian rider Jelle Verstaen covered 271.2 miles (436.5 km) on a production Zero DS, riding overnight from Vars in the French Alps to the Camargue on the Mediterranean coast. It announced the record on October 13.
The old mark was 193.05 miles (310.689 km), set by a Verge TS Pro around London in March 2025. That’s the record EVXL cited when it questioned Verge’s solid-state battery claims in January. Zero beat it by 78.2 miles (125.8 km). Zero’s own city range estimate for the DS on its standard battery is 155 miles (249 km).
A Power Tank and a 32 mph Pace Took the DS to 271 Miles
The DS beat Zero’s own city estimate with help from the optional 3.6 kWh Power Tank, which brings its standard 15.6 kWh battery to 19.2 kWh. The riders avoided motorways, rode at night and aimed for about 32 mph (52 km/h) where limits allowed, on an otherwise stock bike with stock tires.
That works out to roughly 71 Wh per mile (44 Wh per km) if the bike used every listed kilowatt-hour. Zero says regenerative braking on the Alpine descents put some energy back, and the riders used custom ride modes and cruise control to hold a steady speed. Switching the motor off with the kill switch to coast was also considered.
Zero picked the DS over the SR/S even though the fully faired SR/S is lighter and more aerodynamic. The DS has an upright seating position for a ride Zero expected to run past eight hours, and cast wheels that are more aerodynamic than the spoked wheels on the DSR/X.
Guinness Required a Taped Charge Port and Two GPS Trackers
Guinness required a commercially available, unmodified motorcycle, which ruled out even low-resistance tires. The DS left fully charged with its charge port sealed under tape, so any recharge would show. Verstaen carried two professionally verified GPS trackers, and a logbook recorded times, breaks, location photos and witness statements.
Manu De Soomer witnessed from the chase van. Zero customer Louis Renaud followed on his own SR/S as a second witness. At the finish, a Guinness adjudicator spent more than an hour on the evidence, according to Zero’s account of the ride.
CEO Pierre-Martin Bos tied the rules to the pitch: “A record only means something if riders can relate to it.”
All Three Zero Bikes Passed Verge’s Mark Before a Storm Hit
Renaud stopped his SR/S at 217 miles (350 km) with 4% battery left. Jenny Brookes, Zero’s senior global brand manager, took a stock DSR/X to 239 miles (384 km), riding 9 miles (15 km) past the point where the dash read 0%.
For part of that ride Brookes carried the videographer as a passenger. The DS rode the last 62 miles (100 km) through heavy rain after a storm moved across the Camargue, with gale-force crosswinds in roughly the final 25 minutes. Zero says the battery gave out with 436.5 km on the GPS. Verge’s 2025 record, by contrast, took just over 16 hours on suburban London roads, with two riders taking turns.
Zero’s US Site Has No Working Page for the Current DS
US readers who click “Explore the Zero DS” in Zero’s record story land on a model page that returns a 404. When EVXL checked on October 15, the only working DS page on Zero’s US site was a 2025 past edition at $14,495, with a listed range of 144 miles.
That 2025 US bike may not match the record bike’s spec. It lists a 104 mph top speed, while Zero’s UK site sells the current DS at £16,400 as an 11 kW model. The UK site rates its 15.6 kWh DS at 155 miles (249 km) city, 115 miles (185 km) in low-speed highway commuting and 100 miles (161 km) in high-speed highway commuting, all without the Power Tank.
EVXL’s Take
I trust Zero’s method more than most range stunts. GM’s Silverado EV ran 1,059 miles last year on tires pumped to 80 psi, with a tonneau cover and drivers holding 20 to 25 mph. Zero kept the DS stock down to its tires. But the DS also rode downhill from the Alps to sea level, picking up regen on the descents, at about 32 mph on night roads with little traffic. Verge set its mark on laps of suburban London. So 271 miles tells you how efficient the DS can be, and it’s a poor guide to how far an owner will get. Zero’s own UK rating for the DS at high-speed highway pace is 100 miles, and a commuter should plan around that number.
Sources: Zero Motorcycles, Guinness World Records
EVXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting and editorial perspectives are by Haye Kesteloo.
