Ducati goes toward electrification and will provide a model for MotoE in 2023

After entering the world of electric bicycles, Ducati confirmed that it will supply a sports electric motorcycle for MotoE (a MotoGP electric class) as of 2023. With this, the Italian company is definitively entering the world of electrification and is already starting to develop a model to meet the requirements.

The announcement comes after the category informs that Energica, the current supplier, will leave the class in 2022. Since the beginning of the new category in 2019, the company has been supplying the EGO Corsa electric motorcycle for the Championship.

The agreement between Ducati and Dorna Sports is for 4 years, that is, from 2023 to 2026, with the Italian brand also being the only supplier in the period.

Ducati says that this first step will influence the brand’s new products, and that the most important challenges in this field continue to be those of size, weight, battery autonomy and availability of charging networks.

Furthermore, they say, “the aim is to study how to produce, as technology permits, a sporty, lightweight, exciting Ducati electric vehicle capable of satisfying all enthusiasts.”

Just for information, the current model supplied by Energica weighs 260 kg. So, if they manage to reduce that, it’s already a huge performance gain.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati Motor Holding: “We are very proud of this agreement because, like every first, it represents a historic moment for our company. Ducati is always focused towards the future and every time it enters a new world it does so aiming to create the best-performing product possible. This agreement comes at the right time for Ducati, which has been studying electric powertrains for years, as it will allow us to develop within a controlled field: that of competition. We will work to give every participant in the FIM MotoE World Cup a high-performance, electric motorcycle and one made to exemplify being lightweight.

“It’s in the area of weight, which is a fundamental element of sports bikes, which will prove the greatest challenge. Lightweight machinery has always been in Ducati’s DNA and thanks to the technology and chemistry of the batteries that are evolving quickly, we are sure that we can achieve excellent results. We test our innovations and future-focused technological solutions on circuits all over the world and then create exciting and desirable products for Ducatisti. I am convinced that, once again, we will treasure the experience we gain in the world of competition in order to transfer and apply them to production motorcycles.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO Dorna Sports: “We are very proud to announce Ducati as the new, single manufacturer for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. With their incredible racing history, it is an honour to welcome this commitment from one of the best-known manufacturers in the paddock and to take on this new challenge together. We are eager to see what the future has in store and continue to watch this technology develop and grow, with the MotoGP paddock and MotoE continuing to drive innovation and evolution in the motorcycling industry – at the same time as creating an incredible on-track spectacle.

“In addition, we would like to thank Energica for the important role they have played in the inception and growth of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. They have made an invaluable contribution to making the series what it is now as we look forward to another season racing together in 2022, ahead of this new era.”

For more information about MotoE and MotoGP, access https://www.motogp.com.