For the first time in history, electric bikes (e-bikes) will be raced in almost MotoGP conditions. This is the MotoE World Championship with Ducati being the sole supplier of race bikes with their V21L prototype.
The 2023 MotoE World Championship reserved for electric motorbikes in which Ducati is involved as the sole supplier with the V21L prototype has been officially presented at the Vallelunga circuit outside Rome. Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO together with Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports CEO and the representatives of the main partners presented to the press the fifth edition of the “zero emissions championship”, which for the first time will have world title status.
“The decision to participate in the MotoE World Championship as the sole supplier of the bikes is a cornerstone of the Ducati strategy. In fact, electrification, together with the introduction of carbon neutral fuels for internal combustion engines (e-fuel), will be necessary to reduce Ducati's carbon footprint and allow us to achieve our long-term sustainability goals,” says Domenicali.
Electrification, however, has its challenges, says the Ducati CEO, who added that the transition to full zero emissions will have to be managed very closely to achieve that sporty character of every Ducati bike. “Every true Ducati is above all emotion, so it is very important to manage this transition very closely, taking care to maintain the sporty character and fun-to-ride characteristics of every Borgo Panigale bike,” added Domenicalli.
The 18 riders, supported by 9 teams, will be racing on the V21L prototype, designed and built by Ducati with a development process lasting just over a year and with the contribution of test riders Michele Pirro, Chaz Davies and Alex De Angelis, who at Vallelunga did some demonstration laps on the Ducati electric motorbike. For the Bologna-based manufacturer, this project came about with the aim of developing expertise for its future, maintaining the approach that has always fuelled Ducati’s DNA: experimenting with technological solutions in the world of racing and working so that everything developed in this area can then end up on the bikes destined for enthusiasts from all over the world.
The Ducati V21L prototype has a total weight of 225 kg (12 kg less than the minimum requirements imposed by Dorna and the FIM for a motorcycle capable of completing race distance) and has maximum power and torque values respectively of 110 kW (150 hp) and 140 Nm, which on a circuit like Mugello allowed it to reach a speed of 275 km/h. "V21L" is the MotoGP of electric motorcycles, it combines the electronic technologies and chassis dimensions developed by Ducati Corse with a design process and project management typical of a street motorcycle such as the Panigale V4. It is the union of the best expertise of the two worlds, racing and production, a prototype with which Ducati experiments in a world yet to be discovered, that of electric sport bikes.
