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@ Design_r
2025-04-29 05:23:45Hubless Wheels + Donut Motor brings manufacturing & performance benefits
Verge Next, a subsidiary of Estonia-based Verge Motorcycles, invented this Donut Motor. It's designed to drive a hubless wheel. Although once seen as something that simply looked cool in renderings, the company says the hubless arrangement brings performance and manufacturing benefits, "delivering unmatched torque and power density with minimal weight."
For one thing, there's no chain, belt or drivetrain required. Secondly, it frees the body of the bike from the task of holding the motor—everything is now contained within that rear wheel.
The company has not only incorporated the Donut Motor into their own bikes, but is now licensing the technology. Assuming it does what it says on the tin, our future streetscapes will be covered with hubless bikes, scooters and motorcycles.
Here's a closer look at a Verge bike and how its design is influenced by the motor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og9vlJRe2-M
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/966001