[Moto] Ducati begins its electric era: it will produce motorcycles for the MotoE World Cup

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Agreement between Ducati and Dorna for the editions of the MotoE World Cup from 2023

Ducati is pleased to announce the beginning of its electric era: from the 2023 season it will be the sole official supplier of motorcycles for the FIM Enel MotoE ™ World Cup, the electric category of the MotoGP ™ World Championship.

The agreement signed with Dorna Sports, organizer and promoter of the most important international two-wheel championships, lasts until 2026 and, therefore, will cover four editions of the MotoE World Cup.

This is a historic step for the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer that, following its habit of using competition as a laboratory for technologies and solutions that later become a reality for all motorcyclists, enters the world of electric motorcycles from the sector sportier: the one in the electric category of the MotoGP World Championship.

 

The objective is to develop knowledge and technologies in a world in constant evolution such as electricity, through a familiar experience for the company such as competition. This has been an established tradition for the Borgo Panigale company since the Ducati 851, which inaugurated the trend for Ducati racing sports bikes by revolutionizing the concept with its innovative new water-cooled two-cylinder engine, electronic fuel injection. Double overhead camshaft, four-valve cylinder heads, derived from the Ducati 748 IE, which made its drag racing debut at Le Castellet in 1986.

Since then, this endless transfer of experience has always occurred since the World Superbike Championships, in which Ducati has participated since the first edition of 1988, and since MotoGP, in which Ducati is the only non-Japanese motorcycle manufacturer to has won a World Championship.

That transfer is also evident in the Borgo Panigale manufacturer's most recent and prestigious products: in fact, the Panigale's V4 engine is strictly derived in its entire construction philosophy (from bore and stroke measurements to counter-rotating crankshaft) from the engine that debuted at the Desmosedici GP in 2015. The Granturismo V4 that equips the new Multistrada V4 evolved after the Panigale engine. All vehicle control software is also derived directly from those developed in the racing world. Not to mention the field of aerodynamics.

 

The technological solutions developed in the world of competition, transferred to the products that make up the range, allow Ducati to offer its enthusiasts very high-performance and fun-to-ride motorcycles. The FIM Enel MotoE Championship will not be an exception in this regard either and will allow the company to develop the best technologies and testing methodologies applied to light and powerful sports electric motorcycles.

At the same time, the fact that Ducati is part of the Volkswagen Group, which has made electric mobility an essential element of its 2030 "New Auto" strategy, represents the best prerequisite for an extraordinary exchange of knowledge in the field of automotive. electric propulsion systems.

The announcement of the agreement was made during a joint press conference in the press room of the Misano World Circuit 'Marco Simoncelli' on the eve of the Grand Prix of Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna, the third to the last round of the World Championship of MotoGP 2021. Present were Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, and Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding.

 

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding: "We are proud of this agreement because, like all the first times, it represents a historic moment for our company. Ducati always projects towards the future and every time it enters a new world, it does so. for the product with the best possible performance. To make available to all participants of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup high-performance electric motorcycles characterized by lightness. It is precisely weight, a fundamental element of sports motorcycles, where the biggest challenge will be played. Lightness has always been in Ducati's DNA and thanks to rapidly evolving battery chemistry and technology we are convinced that we can deliver an excellent result. We test our innovations and our futuristic technology on circuits from all over the world and then we will make interesting and desirable products available to the Ducatists. I am convinced that once "More we will take advantage of the experiences we have had in the world of competition to transfer them and also apply them in series motorcycles".

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are very proud to announce Ducati as the new and only manufacturer of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. With their incredible racing history, it is an honor to welcome this commitment from one of the best-known manufacturers in the paddock and take on this new challenge together. We can't wait to see what the future holds and we continue to see this technology develop and grow, with the MotoGP and MotoE paddock continuing to drive innovation and evolution in the motorcycle industry, while creating an incredible spectacle. on the track ".

Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO and Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports CEO

This first step for Ducati in the world of electric motorcycles will also influence the evolution of the product range. Now, the most important challenges in this field continue to be those of size, weight, autonomy of the batteries and availability of charging networks. Ducati's experience at the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup will be a fundamental support for product R&D, along with the physiological evolution of technology and chemistry. The goal is to study how to produce, as soon as technology allows, a Ducati electric vehicle that is sporty, light, exciting and capable of satisfying all enthusiasts.

 

Link: https://www.lavozdealmeria.com/noticia/24/motor/224151/ducati-comienza-su-era-electrica-producira-motos-para-la-copa-del-mundo-motoe