The winds continue to shift toward an electric motorcycle future with the news that Ducati has agreed to supply electric motorcycles to the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup from the 2023 season through the 2026 season. Ducati takes over from the current supplier, Energica, which has provided Ego Corsa machines to riders since the series started back in 2019.
The news is somewhat surprising, if only for the fact that Ducati has focused its customer-facing emobility energies on bicycles of late. There have been rumors of an impending production electric for years, but such a machine has never materialized.
That being said, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has acknowledged in the recent past that electric motorcycles are the future.
Plus, Ducati is part of the Volkswagen Group, which has its own emobility initiatives in the works, which will likely be a huge benefit to the R&D teams at Ducati. Domenicali also mentions in a company press release that Ducati has been “studying the situation of electric powertrains for years.”
Match those circumstances with the chance to refine its first electric platform over four seasons at the racetrack in a series powered by a single manufacturer, and it’s easy to see why Ducati inked the deal.
Domenicali goes on in the same release to say:
“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.”
The company will use the information and insight gained through its work in the series to hone its eventual first production electric. Ducati’s stated aim for such a machine is for it to be “sporty, light, thrilling, and able to satisfy all enthusiasts.”
As of the announcement, there are no further details on the bike or project available, but there is the promise that fans will be able to track development over the course of 2022 through a number of different events and presentations.
It’s also another hopeful sign for anyone excited about the growth of the consumer segment. Following Harley’s announcement of a standalone LiveWire brand, Yamaha’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, the collaboration of major OEMs in a swappable battery consortium, it’s clear that we’re within sight of a much more robust electric motorcycle playing field.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com