[moto] Ducati Hasn't Built Electric Motorcycles Yet, CEO: Too Complicated

[luminox™-]

 

Until now, Ducati has no sign of making an electric motorcycle. Whereas the CEO of Ducati, Claudio Domenicali stated that "the future is electric". And in 2019 they confirmed that they would soon start producing their first eco-friendly iron horse. The announcement turned out to cause quite a stir in the two-wheeled industry. The reason is, there was no previous indication that the Italian manufacturer had made a prototype of a zero-emission motorcycle. “Will we soon produce an electric Ducati? Not. We are still focusing on the types of machines being produced now. "Electric motorcycles cannot guarantee the fun, the mileage, the weight, which Ducati riders around the world expect," he said.

Ducati has a reason. They said that what needs to be observed from electric motors is the development of supporting components, such as batteries and the ability of the motor drive. This is the main consideration in order to maintain the traditional advantages of Ducati motorcycles. They don't want the switch to a zero-emission iron horse to sacrifice the performance and toughness that Bologna bikes always offer. Yes, according to them the battery is the main barrier.

 

In the aftermath of Francesca's comments, the CEO finally helped strengthen the reasons why the Italian manufacturer did not make any progress for the production of electric motors. “Let's say today the main complexity of making electric motorcycles with high performance and autonomy lies in the battery. So we are following closely the evolution of this component. And we are currently evaluating how much energy can be stored in the battery."It turns out that Ducati failed to fulfill its promise. Until the end of last month, Ducati's VP of global sales and board member, Francesca Milicia spoke up. He informed that the idea of a Ducati electric motorcycle could come at any time. Although that model is not in the company's plans.Domenicali claims that lithium-ion batteries are not yet sophisticated enough to provide sufficient energy and performance. In addition, the existing power collection tools are fairly heavy in weight. Therefore, a compromise between autonomy and battery size is required.

 

 

Energica
But what the man from Bologna is talking about is the opposite of the Energica company. The Italian stun-powered motorcycle manufacturer has no problem producing high-performance electric motorcycles. And they are still relying on lithium-ion battery technology.

In fact, Energica is the only supplier of electric racing motorcycles for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup racing series. The electric iron horse has a speed of up to 240 km / h (150 mph) which can thrill the audience with its performance.

In addition Energica has produced several models that can cover a range of up to 400 km (250 miles) and a mixed range of 230 km (143 miles) thanks to a high-capacity 21.5 kWh battery. And the battery was released 18 months ago, leaving Ducati far behind when it comes to cutting-edge technology.

To be fair, the Energica Ego is indeed heavy compared to the Ducati Panigale V4. Even though the Ducati is 20 percent lighter than the Energica and has about 40 percent more horsepower, the Energica can still crush the Ducati on the straight. At least he can go 0-60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, compared to the Panigale which only takes 3.5 seconds.

Even Harley-Davidson via Livewire, which is known for comfort over performance, is able to make the Panigale look outdated in terms of speed. It can cover a distance of 0-60 mph in just 3.0 seconds.

Regarding battery production, Domenicali admits that Ducati can't keep up with electric motorcycle startups at the moment. Or old motorcycle manufacturers who have adopted the production of two-wheeled zero emission. He also does not deny that a stun-powered iron horse can be useful for Ducati. On the other hand, of course, add product lines.

If we put the weight aside for a moment, the electric engine must be the strongest component. Of course they can make products that match the brand's characteristics which have always been associated with performance and sport. The most relevant dynamic is the timing of the introduction later. But if history has been any indication, Ducati will continue to grapple with this "timing" issue for years to come, even as other industries continue to pass. (Bgx/Raju)