Energica sales soared by 91% in 2020 as operations expand

Energica has reported sales of its all-electric range of motorcycles grew by a whopping 91% in 2020 despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, while figures have continued to rise into 2021.

One of the numerous start-up companies formed to capitalise on the growing shift towards zero-exhaust emission motoring, Energica has become one of the biggest and most significant by focusing its range of high-end, sporting machinery

Indeed, while many mainstream manufacturers are still poring over development plans for an inevitable switch towards electric power down the line, Energica’s two primary options - the Ego sportsbike and Eva naked - are now in their second generation.

 They are models that have resonated with customers with sales multiplying throughout 2020, according to Energica, with this growth being sustained into 2021. This is despite lockdown measures being enforced around the world that dented bottom lines for other manufacturers last year.

Energica’s communication comes as European nations gear up for a wholesale shift towards electric power in the coming decade or so, with an EU deadline of 2035 set to mark the end of sales for fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

As a result of the strong results, Energica will be hiring more staff and expanding its dealer network - currently totalling 90 dealerships - and will be expanding into nations where EV infrastructure and take up are stronger, such as Sweden.

The fight to become the ‘Tesla of Motorcycling’

This is an interesting time for motorcycle manufacturers as they gaze into the crystal ball and decide how and where best to siphon resources in the coming years.

We know a total shift towards electric power is incoming but to say it is proving a hard sell to people is something of an understatement. 

Indeed, while the motorcycle industry is approximately five years behind the larger automobile industry when it comes to market development, for electric there is a sense no manufacturer wants to make the jump too early for fear of profit margins on a model that would be expensive to develop, more expensive to buy and be undercut by more conventional models.

The market would arguably benefit from a ‘halo model’ in a similar vein to that of Tesla, whose Model S went a long way to dispel a number of fears with regards to how the benefits of electric power - acceleration, whisper-quiet noise, class-leading tech and excellent economy - could be integrated into a premium package.

While this won’t necessarily be as easy to replicate on a motorcycle, it’s only when one is launched that surpasses the norm in one or two of the areas that matter to bikers that many will sit up and take notice.

Electric is coming but which manufacturers will lead and which will follow…?