In typical Ducati-style, the firm will use racing competition as a laboratory for technologies and solutions before developing its mass-market e-motorcycle.
22 Oct 2021 | 4155 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Iconic Italian bike maker Ducati is also going electric. Starting from the 2023 season, it will be the sole official supplier of motorcycles for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, the electric class of the MotoGP World Championship. The agreement signed with Dorna Sports, organizer and promoter of the these ...
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Iconic Italian bike maker Ducati is also going electric. Starting from the 2023 season, it will be the sole official supplier of motorcycles for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, the electric class of the MotoGP World Championship. The agreement signed with Dorna Sports, organizer and promoter of the these two-wheel racing championships lasts until 2026 and will therefore cover four editions of the MotoE World Cup.
Following its custom of using racing competition as a laboratory for technologies and solutions that then become reality for all motorcyclists, Ducati is entering the world of electric bikes starting from the sportiest sector – the electric class of the MotoGP World Championship.
Ducati says the FIM Enel MotoE Championship will enable it to develop the best technologies and test methodologies applied to sporty, light and powerful electric motorcycles. Also, being part of the Volkswagen Group, which has made electric mobility an essential element of its 2030 "New Auto" strategy, represents the best prerequisite for an extraordinary exchange of expertise in the field of electric powertrains.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, said: "We are proud of this agreement because, like all the first times, it represents a historic moment for our company. Ducati is always projected towards the future and every time it enters a new world, it does so to create the best performing product possible. This agreement comes at the right time for Ducati, which has been studying the situation of electric powertrains for years, because it will allow us to experiment in a well-known and controlled field like that of racing competition. We will work to make available to all participants of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup electric bikes that are high-performance and characterized by lightness. It is precisely on weight, a fundamental element of sports bikes, that the greatest challenge will be played out. Lightness has always been in Ducati’s DNA and thanks to the technology and chemistry of the batteries that are evolving rapidly we are convinced that we can obtain an excellent result. We test our innovations and our futuristic technological solutions on circuits all over the world and then make exciting and desirable products available to Ducatisti. I am convinced that once again we will build on the experiences we have had in the world of racing competition to transfer them and apply them also on production bikes."
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."
This first step of Ducati in the world of electric bikes will also have an influence on the evolution of the product range. The most important challenges remain those of the size, weight, autonomy of the batteries and the availability of charging networks. Ducati will use its experience in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup as a fundamental support for product R&D, together with the physiological evolution of technology and chemistry. The goal is to study how to produce, as soon as the technology allows, a Ducati electric vehicle that is sporty, light, thrilling and able to satisfy all enthusiasts.