Ducati to supply MotoE from 2023 as first step towards electrification

Ducati has announced it will become the control supplier for the 2023 MotoE World Cup as part of a move that will form the basis for it developing a range of electric motorcycles for sale.

Following this week’s announcement that Energica - which has supplied a field of electric Ego Corsa sportsbikes since the series’ inaugural season in 2019 -  would conclude its deal with Dorna at the end of the 2022 season, speculation was rife that one of the six MotoGP-contesting manufacturers would take over.

This is now confirmed to be Ducati, which has sealed a deal to supply for four years between 2023 to 2026.

Though Ducati touts its legacy as a manufacturer with a rich sporting heritage, it swerves discussing exactly what form the motorcycle supply will take. While GP competition is based on the fundamentals of prototype machinery, the MotoE World Cup was unique in that it used production-based models.

For now, it isn’t clear whether Ducati will use an existing model - such as the next generation Panigale sportsbike - as the basis for the supplied machine, or shift towards a race-bred prototype that maximises electric power. However, it did include a sketch showing a machine with Panigale-like proportions, to indicate this is a model it intends to produce for public consumption.

The MotoE announcement also marks the first formal confirmation of its plan to shift emphasis towards electric power for its models, with the platform it develops set to influence upcoming zero-pipe emission offerings.

"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 characterised 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. We test our innovations and our futuristic technological solutions on circuits all over the world and then make exciting and desirable products available to Ducatisti. 

“I am convinced that once again we will build on the experiences we have had in the world of racing competition to transfer them and apply them also on production bikes."