In October 2021, Dorna Sports announced that Energica would no longer be the only supplier of electric motorcycles destined for the MotoE championship, and that from 2023 the “contract” will be handed over to Ducati. If all this is now official, what is not known is what these new bikes from the Borgo Panigale company will be like
MotoE has gained some interest lately, especially since several European countries have announced plans to phase out gasoline vehicles in the not-too-distant future. Since its debut in 2019, the MotoE certainly represents the future of motorcycle racing, at a time when the good old internal combustion engine is anything but a distant memory.
Ducati relies on Michele Pirro for the tests of the V21L MotoE platform
It would appear that Ducati is making quite a bit of progress in terms of development, as the first tests of the new V21L MotoE platform are already underway. Ducati also asked for the help of Michele Pirro, test rider of the Ducati MotoGP team. At the moment, that’s all we know, however, it’s pretty safe to assume that in terms of performance, the new MotoE racing bikes will not be too far from those of the Energica Ego used since debut of “zero impact” racing, indeed there are those who swear that they will be even better. The Ducati contract should last until 2026, but it could also be renewed based on the overall performance of the bikes in the four racing seasons envisaged.
Michele Pirro during tests with the Ducati V21L MotoE
Apparently, Ducati’s entry into MotoE will likely have an effect on the Italian icon’s “street” products. Previously opposed to electrification, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali now has a 100% electric production motorcycle in mind, which hopefully will arrive on the market between 2025 and 2030. Ducati, being part of the Volkswagen group, will undoubtedly have access to the latest and greatest EV technology developed by the German automotive giant. That said, Ducati will continue its efforts towards e-fuel research and development, while developing its all-electric platform.