Ducati announced that they will be the sole manufacturers of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup from 2023 till 2026. The agreement signed with Dorna Sports lets Ducati enter the world of electric motorcycling in conditions that it knows best, i.e. the race track. The current motorcycle is produced by Energica Motor Company which was founded back in 2014. This will also be the first time a fully fledged motorcycle company is entering the electric two-wheeled motorsport business. This deal bodes well for both sides as Ducati gets access to steady knowledge from the research done in sport electric motorcycles, and Dorna Sports gets Moto E on the map with Ducati as their manufacturer.
Ducati claims that the technology and the developments learnt from this partnership will allow them to develop sporty, light and powerful electric motorcycles. This three year contract will be very crucial for Ducati as they will learn better about the electric powertrains, something they have not dipped their fingers in yet, or at least officially.
At the same time, Ducati is a part of the Volkswagen Group, which has made electric mobility an essential element of its 2030 "New Auto" strategy. This move will represent the best prerequisite for an exchange of expertise in the field of electric powertrains.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati Motor Holding said, "We are proud of this agreement because, 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 powertrains for years, because it will allow us to experiment in a well-known and controlled field like that of racing competition. 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.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO Dorna Sports, said “We are very proud to announce Ducati as the new, single manufacturer for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. With their incredible racing history, it is an honour to welcome this commitment from one of the best-known manufacturers in the paddock and to take on this new challenge together. We are eager to see what the future has in store and continue to watch this technology develop and grow, with the MotoGP paddock and MotoE continuing to drive innovation and evolution in the motorcycling industry - at the same time as creating an incredible on-track spectacle.”
With that said, we now wait for the 2023 season of the FIM MotoE World Cup to see those silent, red, Bologna Bullets whizzing past in speeds that would make the electric powertrain an exciting prospect for the motorcycle industry. Ducati is yet to announce any electric motorcycles, but this step surely makes us wait for an announcement in the future. For more updates from the world of automobiles and motorsport, stay tuned to evo India!