Remember when we covered Energica bowing out of MotoE and the drama surrounding Ducati’s step into the role as MotoE’s electric bike supplier?
Well, we knew they had access to Energica’s bikes for study – but we had no clue they’d have a prototype out on the track so soon.
A report from MCN states that Ducati’s already got an electric bike at Misano for testing, with none other than Michele Pirro, Ducati’s long-time tester, behind the windshield.
His job at the moment?…“evaluat[ing] the technical characteristics current potential of the new machine.”
Codenamed ‘V21L,’ the electric supersport appears to carry aesthetic inspiration from Energica’s machines, despite MCN saying that the V21L was purportedly ‘made from scratch.’
Energica CEO Livia Cevolini thinks the same – at least, based on her quote back in early November:
“It’s good that they are going their own way, even though I know they have our bikes in their factory that they are studying.”
The article also states that Ducati’s MotoE project is “a joint venture between Ducati Corse and Ducati R&D designers, led by Ducati eMobility Director Roberto Canè,” with the current focus being on the production of a cooling system for the bike.
“Testing the MotoE prototype on the circuit was a great thrill because it marks the beginning of an important chapter in Ducati history,” says Pirro.
“The bike is light and already has a good balance. Furthermore, the throttle connection in the first opening phase and the ergonomics are very similar to those of a MotoGP bike. If it weren’t for the silence and for the fact that in this test, we decided to limit the power output to just 70% of performance, I could easily have imagined that I was riding my bike.”
We have no doubt that Ducati will have their own stamp of authenticity on this machine in one way or another as we continue further down the journey toward full electrification for 2023’s MotoE.
Our best to Team Red and our hearty congratulations for their timely successes; be sure to drop a comment below letting us know what you think, check out other news related to MotoE from our archives, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
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