Ducati has announced that it will be the official motorcycle supplier for the FIM MotoE World Cup, the all-electric racing class included in some rounds of the MotoGP Championship. The brand partnership will begin with the 2023 racing season and will continue until 2026. The announcement comes from Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in a press conference held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
The news of Ducati’s involvement in the MotoE class arrives shortly after the announcementcI that the Italian electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica will not extend its contract as an official supplier after the 2022 season.
Energica was considered a natural fit for the MotoE racing series when the World Cup kicked off in 2019. It is one of the few manufacturers of high-performance electric motorcycles. The Energica Ego Corsa racing bike used by all MotoE race teams is based directly on its road-approved electric superbike ‘Energica Ego.
Ducati, from the MotoE championship to an electric model for everyone?
While many see the electrification of automobiles and motorcycles as a foregone conclusion, Ducati’s involvement in MotoE and its claims relating to production motorcycles can be seen as its first significant commitment to a line of electric motorcycles for end users. However, there is no definitive timeline for when we can expect electric Ducatis to hit dealerships.
Although Ducati does not currently sell electric motorcycles, the Italian brand has partnered with the Italian bicycle manufacturer Thok E-Bikes to create a range of Ducati e-bike with pedal assistance, showing interest in an electrical segment. In addition, Ducati’s parent company, the Volkswagen Group, is known to offer a variety of electric cars, including the Audi e-tron line and the VW ID.4.
On the left the Ducati Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and on the right the CEO of Dorna Sports Carmelo Ezpeleta
“We are proud of this agreement because – Domenicali explained -, 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 engines for years, because it will allow us to experiment in a well-known and controlled field like that of competitions ”.
“We will work to make performing electric bikes characterized by lightness available to all participants in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. It is precisely on weight, a fundamental element of sports bikes, that the greatest challenge will be played “, Domenicali continued. “Lightness has always been in Ducati’s DNA, and thanks to the rapidly evolving technology and chemistry of the batteries, we are convinced we can achieve an excellent result. We test our innovations and our futuristic technological solutions on circuits all over the world and then we make exciting and desirable products available to Ducatisti. I am convinced that once again we will treasure the experiences we have had in the world of racing to transfer them and apply them also on production bikes ”.