Starting from the 2023 season, the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer will be the sole supplier of motorcycles for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, the electric class of the MotoGP™ World Championship.
The electric motorcycle prototype, code-named V21L, is the result of the joint work of the Ducati Corse team and the Ducati R&D engineers, led by Ducati eMobility director Roberto Canè.
Professional rider and Ducati test rider since 2013, Michele Pirro, took the electric bike to the track and evaluated the technical characteristics and potential of Ducati’s first electric motorcycle.
Ducati's goal is to make high-performance and yet light electric motorcycles for all FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup participants.
The most important challenges in the development of an electric racing motorcycle remain related to the size, weight and range of the batteries.
The focus of the project are, in addition to better performance, the containment of weight and the consistency of power delivery during the race, are the achieved through the development of a suitable cooling system.
Ducati's experience in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup will be a fundamental support for product R&D.
Canè said the development team found it hard to believe that the functioning electric bike was a reality and still not a dream.
“We are experiencing a truly extraordinary moment.
“We are certainly not finished yet; indeed, we know that the road ahead is still very long, but in the meantime, we have laid a first important 'brick',” he said.
Pirro said the bike was light and already has a good balance.
“Furthermore, the throttle connection in the first opening phase and the ergonomics are very similar to those of a MotoGP bike.
“If it weren't for the silence and for the fact that in this test, we decided to limit the power output to just 70% of performance, I could easily have imagined that I was riding my bike,” he said.
