Stark Varg EX review: Our first look at the 80 HP street-legal dirt bike
Recently, the up-and-coming electric motorcycle manufacturer Stark Future invited us to the mountains of Spain to get hands-on with the Stark Varg EX – a fully electric street-legal enduro motorcycle selling in the U.S for $12,990 for the 60 HP configuration and $13,990 for the insane 80 HP configuration. After 2 days on trails, my biggest surprise was just how approachable and easy to ride the EX turned out to be for such a high-performance machine. It’s still far from being optimal as a commuter bike, but then again, that’s not quite what the EX is for.
In 2023, Stark Future began shipping its off-road MX dirt bikes, which quickly established the company as a serious competitor to ICE motocross brands. Now, with a lot of trails around the world becoming more regulated, the natural progression for the company came in the form of their street-legal EX. Before we get into it, let’s get some of the specs out of the way.
Stark Varg EX specs:
- Power: 60/80 HP
- Battery capacity: 7.2kWh
- Range: 1.3-7 Hours riding
- Weight: 264 lbs
- Suspension: KYB front & rear with 300mm travel
- Charge time: 1-2 hours with 240V outlet
From MX to EX
The Street-Legal EX comes with a slightly bigger 7.2 kWh battery compared to the 6.5 kWh battery on the MX, but overall, this is still much more of a hardcore enduro motorcycle than something you’d use for long commutes and occasional trails. For those looking to convert one of these into a supermoto for around-town riding, the battery is more than sufficient. However, for those looking to commute to off-road trails that require traveling via highway, the range is not quite there yet, and unfortunately, there is no portable charger that you could easily take with you. It’s simply not where this bike shines.
Performance:
Despite the backlash from the Motocross federation and regulators who make it very difficult for electric dirtbikes to compete in races, Stark Future has put a lot of effort into building a serious race team.
Outside the track, the bikes themselves are very much performance oriented, coming stock with a max of 80 HP, insane torque, and KYB suspension front and rear. Another tell sign is the stiff seat, which lets you know right away that this is much more of an enduro bike than something made for commuting. In addition, Stark Future wanted to prioritize saving weight and staying competitive on the race track over longer range and comfort.
As a result, the bike handles more like a full-size mountain bike that somehow has just enough weight to track well on rocky terrain. Overall the bike handles incredibly well, has great weight distribution and size and is no surprise that aside from a few tweaks to the power delivery the EX that comes stock to customers is essentially the same bike that is being brought to the race track to compete on world stages, something which is not common in the world of ICE motorsports.
For those coming from gas bikes, a tip that you might want to consider is using the hand brake as a clutch. For the EU model, the rear brake is a hand brake located on the left side of the handlebars exactly where the clutch lever is on a gas bike, so for extra stability in tight single track, try giving that hand brake a try.
The Tech
In the center of the handlebars comes a smartphone, which is where you can set custom power modes, adjust regenerative braking, and even fine-tune power delivery. Out of the 80 HP, you can set the power to as low as 10 HP, which, combined with its 264-pound weight, makes it easy to hand off this bike to a complete beginner without having to worry about them hurting themselves too badly.
Once you have a few power modes saved, you can toggle between them easily with the buttons on the handlebars, although it does take a minute to get used to because there are a few other modes you can cycle through with those two buttons.
Crawl/reverse mode
Stark Future added a few modes to make enduro a bit easier, which at the beginning of the ride I didn’t pay much attention to until I was stuck and needed to use them. If you’re familiar with walk mode on electric mountain bikes, crawl mode is essentially the same, except that with the strong torque of the bike, it’s super useful for walking the bike up steep dirt hill climbs. It keeps the wheels from spinning out, yet still has enough torque to make progress going up. There’s also a reverse mode for backing up, and altogether it made learning enduro a lot more fun.
Maps and apps
Aside from power modes, the smartphone on the bike also works for navigation, as well as any app you would have on your normal smartphone. You could also add a SIM and receive calls and texts straight to the phone.
Electrek’s take:
One of the most appealing aspects about this bike is just how much performance you get for such an approachable bike. I could easily set this bike to a lower power setting and pass it to a friend or family member who is a complete beginner for them to have a lot of fun, and at the same time, you could pass this bike to a professional supercross rider for their next pro race.
Considering people are spending similar amounts of money on modding out Surrons, that still likely won’t compare to this bike that was designed from the start with racing in mind. The $12,990 price tag isn’t too bad for a performance enduro bike that you can ride with plates, but for those looking for a cool commuter bike, this might be a little overkill unless you’re serious about electric supermotos and want that higher-level performance.
As for Stark Future, they have a lot of momentum going and a strong team, but they also move as a start-up up which means while they are ambitious and move quickly, certain departments, such as support, may not be as large as some of the bigger companies out there. That being said, they do have intentions to grow out their support team and build a distribution center in the U.S. to cut down shipping times.
As for their products, there’s no official word on any specific models coming soon, but there does seem to be interest in developing more street-oriented models. There are also ongoing developments to reduce weight, including the possibility of 3D printing titanium frames and parts. Personally as someone who spends most of the time off trails it would be amazing to see the type of performance offered on the EX with the convinence of being able ot use a portable charging adapter to have the luxary of riding to a forest, stoping for lunch and having the chance to charge right before getting into the trails.
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Hyundai offered a first look at the hot hatch earlier this week after unveiling the Concept Three, its first compact EV under the IONIQ family. The new EV, set to arrive as the IONIQ 3, already has a sporty, hot hatch look, but that could be just the start.
Hyundai has a new EV hot hatch in the making
The Concept Three took the spotlight at IAA Mobility in Munich with a daring new look from Hyundai. Based on its new “Art of Steel” design, the concept is a stark contrast to the Hyundai vehicles on the road today.
Hyundai took the “Aero Hatch” design to the next level, deeming it “a new typology that reimagines the compact EV silhouette.” And that it does.
When it arrives in production form in mid-2026, it’s expected to take the IONIQ 3 name as a smaller, more affordable sibling to the IONIQ 5.
Hyundai is set to unveil the electric hatchback next spring with an official launch planned in Europe in September 2026. According to Hyundai’s European boss, Xavier Martinet, the IONIQ 3 could make for the perfect EV hot hatch.
Martinet hinted that the IONIQ 3 could receive the “N” treatment, telling Auto Express that “The concept is quite sporty, and obviously you have heritage with N brand.” Hyundai’s European boss added that “it’s a fair topic to consider.”
Although it doesn’t sound too convincing, Hyundai’s head of design, Simon Loasby, called it “an opportunity.” Loasby was quick to add, “We’re not calling it N, it’s not approved yet.”
“But I think everyone in the company is realising what Europe needs, and that’s compact hot hatches, so it’s a topic for discussion,” Hyundai’s design boss added.
The Concept Three is 4,287 mm long, 1,940 mm wide, and 1,428 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,722 mm, or about the size of the Kia EV3 and Volkswagen ID.3. Both of which are set for hot hatch variants.
If the IONIQ 3 N does come to life, it will be the third Hyundai EV to receive the high-performance upgrade, following the IONIQ 5 N and IONIQ 6 N.
The IONIQ 5 N “was just the first lap,” according to Joon Park, vice president of Hyundai’s N Brand Management Group. He told Auto Express that Hyundai is “at the starting line” and plans to apply what it learned from its first EV hot hatch to upcoming models.
If you’re looking for an affordable electric hot hatch, Hyundai already offers one. After Hyundai cut lease prices last month, the IONIQ 5 N is now listed at just $549 per month. That’s $150 less per month than in July.
Want to test one out for yourself? You can use our link to find 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 models in your area (trusted affiliate link).
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The global wind industry is going to hit some unprecedented growth milestones, according to Wood Mackenzie’s Global Wind Power Market Outlook for Q3 2025. The world is on track to add its second terawatt of wind capacity by 2030. To put that in perspective, it took 23 years to install the first terawatt, which was reached in 2023. The second will come in just seven.
Wind is also set for a record-breaking year in 2025. Global additions are expected to reach 170 gigawatts (GW), with more than 70 GW coming online in the last quarter of the year alone. That means Q4 could add more capacity than the total installed in any full year before 2020.
This forecast represents a 13% jump from the previous quarter, primarily driven by explosive onshore growth in China. Global wind capacity is expected to double from 2024 levels by 2032. Outside of China, the industry is also expanding, though on a slower path. Excluding China, the world will reach 1 terawatt in 2031 and double 2024 capacity by 2034.
However, policy uncertainty and the Trump administration’s hostility toward the wind industry, particularly offshore wind, are negatively impacting the US market. Trump’s big bill act (OBBBA), passed in July 2025, ends tax credits after 2027. That’s sparked a rush of projects in the short term, but it drags down the long-term outlook. For the first time, the US has fallen behind India and Germany in forecasted 10-year additions.
“China’s dominance in the wind industry is becoming more pronounced,” said Sasha Bond-Smith, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “While other established markets struggle with policy uncertainty and economic headwinds, we’re witnessing an unequalled concentration of growth in China that’s reshaping the industry landscape.”
China’s onshore forecast jumped this quarter thanks to rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification. Wind is proving more profitable than solar in liberalized power markets, but China’s offshore wind sector is facing challenges. Sea-use conflicts are slowing or even halting projects already under construction.
Despite those hurdles, Wood Mackenzie now projects that wind could match solar’s power output in China over the forecast period. That would cement wind’s central role in helping the country meet climate goals while keeping up with surging power demand.
Elsewhere, onshore wind remains steady across Europe, Asia Pacific, and emerging markets, with tender results and pipelines supporting progress. Offshore wind is struggling, though. High costs and failed tenders are creating setbacks in Europe and delays in emerging markets. Policymakers are under pressure to rethink contract structures to keep projects moving.
“The wind industry’s most significant transformation in decades continues to unfold,” said Kárys Prado, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “While achieving historic scale, success will depend on how effectively the industry navigates this new geography of growth and adapts to evolving policy landscapes.”
Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 91% of new US power generating capacity in H1 2025
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla unveiling its new Megablock product, bunch of new EVs at IAA, the debacle at Hyundai’s plant, and more
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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