ZERO DS sets Guiness World Record with 436.5 km on a single charge
A Zero DS has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric motorbike on a single charge, covering 436.5 kilometres between the French-Italian Alps and the Mediterranean coast. The distance beats the previous record of 310.689 km by 125.8 km, an improvement of just over 40 percent. The ride was tracked by GPS and independently verified by Guinness World Records.
The rider was Jelle Verstaen, a motorcyclist from Belgium. He rode a standard production Zero DS fitted with the optional Power Tank accessory, which is available at retail.
Battery and range
The Zero DS has a 15.6 kWh battery with a claimed city range of 249 km. The Power Tank adds 3.6 kWh, bringing total capacity to 19.2 kWh. Over 436.5 km, that works out to an average consumption of roughly 44 Wh per kilometre, well beyond the bike’s rated range.
According to Zero, the bike was otherwise unmodified, running standard tyres at standard pressures. The company attributes the result to the efficiency of the Z-Force powertrain: the energy density of the battery pack, low drivetrain losses, and regenerative braking.
CEO Pierre-Martin Bos pointed to the use of three production bikes on public roads, one of them ridden by a customer: “A record only means something if riders can recognise themselves in it.”
The Zero DS is the brand’s entry-level dual-sport model and a lighter sibling of the DSR/X. It can be ridden on an A1 licence, and in some countries on a car (B) licence.
The route
The attempt was made on public roads rather than a test track, using minor roads and French departmental routes. The route was planned to limit energy-consuming stops and acceleration at junctions and traffic lights, while still including mountain passes, town centres, villages and open country roads.
Jarno Middelbosch, Senior Director Global Marketing at Zero Motorcycles, said range anxiety remains a barrier for riders considering a switch to electric, and that demonstrating more than 400 km on a single charge is intended to show what is achievable with current technology.
On the mountain descents, regenerative braking was used to recover energy. On the faster, more open roads towards the coast, where consumption rises with speed, the rider held a steady cruising speed. Conditions stayed dry until the route reached the Camargue, where a heavy storm set in. The final 100 km were ridden in heavy rain.
Three bikes, three record distances
Three riders set off together, each on a different Zero model, and all three exceeded the previous record:
Louis Renaud, a Zero customer, rode his own standard Zero SR/S for 350 km, finishing with 4 percent charge remaining.
Jenny Brookes, Senior Global Brand Manager at Zero Motorcycles, rode a standard Zero DSR/X for 384 km until the battery was empty. Jelle Verstaen’s Power Tank-equipped Zero DS covered the longest distance at 436.5 km.
Where road conditions and speed limits allowed, the group averaged a cruising speed of around 52 km/h, which Zero says is significantly higher than in the previous record attempt.
Zero at 20
The record coincides with Zero Motorcycles’ 20th anniversary. The California-founded company was established in 2006.
