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Ducati Reveals Details On New EV Motorbike In “Historic Moment”

Ducati revealed its electric motorcycle program last October and are progressing very quickly. At the same time, Ducati announced that it would be replacing Energica as the only provider for the FIM MotoE racing series electric motorcycles.

After years of the company stating they were not ready to bring out electric motorbikes, the program has gone from zero to a hundred extremely quickly. We have seen the V21L electric motorbike prototype on the track for some test lap, and now they have released some hard data and real tech specifications.

The Italian manufacturer has confirmed that there will be 18 bikes created for the FIM MotoE racing series in 2023 and they will be capable of outputting 110kW and 140 No of torque. Whilst testing the bikes on the test circuit in Moguello, Italy, the bikes managed a top speed of 171 mph.

Ducati has also managed to bring the weight down to 225kg which still seems like a lot, however, the 18kWh battery pack takes up a large portion of this and it is still significantly lighter than the Energica Ego which was 282 kg.

Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO, tested the V21L prototype and said:

A few weeks ago, I had the extraordinary opportunity to ride the Ducati MotoE on the track and I immediately realized that I was living in a historic moment.

The world is going through a complex period and environmental sustainability is an element that all individuals and all companies must consider a priority if we want to preserve the delicate balance of the planet. As Ducati, we have grasped this need and we went in search of a challenge that would allow us to contribute to the common goal of reducing CO₂ emissions and at the same time to keep faith with our DNA linked to racing. We agreed with determination to develop the most performing electric racing bike that current technology makes possible and to use this project as a laboratory in which to build our future.

The result we have achieved is surprising. As soon as I sat on the bike, I realized the quality of the work done by the team and when I returned to the garage, I felt a deep sense of pride for what we were once again able to achieve.

Veicenzo De Silvio, Ducati’s research and development manager, has explained:

For Ducati, having the opportunity to become suppliers of the FIM MotoE World Cup is not only a technologically exciting venture, but also the best way to interpret the challenges of the new millennium. Racing competition represents the ideal terrain on which to develop innovative technologies that will then transfer to production motorcycles.

At this moment, the most important challenges in this field remain those related to the size, weight, autonomy of the batteries and the availability of the charging networks. Ducati’s experience in the FIM MotoE World Cup will be a fundamental support for product R&D, together with the physiological evolution of technology and chemistry. Helping the company’s internal expertise to grow is already essential today to be ready when the time comes to put the first street electric Ducati into production.

Ducati has already confirmed that developments gained from producing the V21L will come through into everyday consumer levels which would be the company’s first electric motorcycle for consumers rather than racers.

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