Zero DS Sets Guinness Record: 271 Miles on a Single Charge

A production Zero DS electric motorcycle has shattered the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric motorbike on a single charge. Belgian rider Jelle Verstaen piloted the bike 271.2 miles on public roads from the French Alps to the Mediterranean coast, smashing the previous mark of 193.053 miles by 78 miles—an improvement of more than 40%. The prior record was held by Finland’s Verge Motorcycles and British riders Sam Clarke and Sara Sloman, who rode a Verge TS Pro for just over 16 hours in Greater London traffic on March 22, 2025. Zero Senior Director of Global Marketing Jarno Middelbosch noted that the feat demonstrates a real-world range of over 400 kilometers to help tackle range anxiety.

Apart from the factory-accessory Power Tank installed by a dealer, the record-setting DS was strictly stock. The Power Tank adds 3.6 kWh to the standard 15.6 kWh battery, bringing total capacity to 19.2 kWh—a 23% increase. The bike rolled on standard Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tires at standard pressure, with no auxiliary batteries or special mods. For context, Zero rates the DS at 155 miles of city range without the Power Tank under the SAE J2982 standard. Zero chose the DS for its aerodynamic cast wheels, lighter motor, and upright riding position suited for long hours in the saddle. The European-market DS is rated at 11 kW to comply with A1 license regulations, while its passively air-cooled Z-Force 75-7 motor kicks out a peak 45 kW (60 horsepower) and 97 lb-ft of torque.

The record run began at about 7 p.m. from Les Claux, a ski village in Vars in the French Alps sitting at roughly 5,900 feet of elevation. The route headed south toward the Mediterranean, featuring a net descent to sea level and avoiding motorways entirely by utilizing mountain passes, minor roads, and French secondary roads. To conserve energy, planners mapped a continuous flow to limit stop-and-go riding, while the nighttime departure minimized traffic and braking. Dry weather held until the Camargue, the Rhone River delta south of Arles, where a severe storm struck, delivering heavy rain for the final 62 miles and gale-force crosswinds for the last 25 minutes. Verstaen kept a steady pace, cruising at about 32 mph where speed limits allowed, and used regenerative braking on Alpine descents.

Verification was strict: the charge port was sealed with tape, distance was logged via two professionally verified GPS trackers, and a Guinness World Records adjudicator reviewed the evidence for over an hour. Verstaen was not alone in beating the previous benchmark. Zero Senior Global Brand Manager Jenny Brookes rode a stock DSR/X 238.6 miles until its battery ran out, while customer Louis Renaud rode his stock SR/S about 217 miles, finishing with 4% charge remaining. Both riders easily surpassed the old record. Zero CEO Pierre-Martin Bos emphasized that all three were standard production motorcycles ridden on public roads. The Zero DSR/X carries a $21,995 MSRP with a 17.3 kWh battery, and its optional Power Tank is a $3,200 dealer-installed accessory raising capacity to nearly 21 kWh.