16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Verge Motorcycles' U.S. Rollout Includes Century City Location
European technology company Verge Motorcycles' first U.S. store opened at Westfield Century City Shopping Center on June 1. Verge's second store opened at Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose on June 6.
Verge Motorcycles' international retail strategy is being driven by retail technology visionary George Blankenship, who was instrumental in developing Apple and Tesla's highly successful, ground-breaking showrooms.
'I see the same potential in Verge as I did at Apple two decades ago and Tesla one decade ago when those companies set out to completely redefine their industries,' said Blankenship, who now serves as Verge's chief revenue officer. 'I want Verge to be positioned wherever lots of people are spending time on a regular basis finding new things they might be surprised to see. Westfield Century City is one of the best shopping centers in the world, making it a perfect place for us to start our store operations in the United States.'
Verge Motorcycles sees the West Coast as having all the right conditions to successfully launch its U.S. business. Motorcycling is popular in the region, and California also has the most extensive electric vehicle charging network in the country. In June of last year, Verge confirmed its plan to utilize Tesla's NACS charging connector, which means all bikes from day one will be able to utilize the expansive Tesla Supercharger network.
'The United States is already seen as one of our most important markets,' said Pekka Parnanen, chief operating officer of Verge USA. 'Many of the pre-orders for our bikes have come from the western region of the U.S. and California consumers, in particular, are widely known for appreciating and adopting new innovations. Our new stores in Los Angeles and San Jose will begin the rollout of our Verge experience to as many American motorcycle enthusiasts as possible.'
In November 2024, at the LA Auto Show, Verge launched its new Starmatter platform, which brings software updates, sensor technology, artificial intelligence and an advanced user interface to motorcycling for the first time. At CES in Las Vegas, Verge announced an update to its flagship model with Starmatter Vision features, including multiple cameras and high-resolution radar, making Verge TS Ultra the first motorcycle equipped with the sense of sight.
Information sourced by Verge Motorcycles. To learn more, contact press@
