Ducati will become the single supplier of bikes to MotoE, MotoGP’s all-electric competition, from 2023.
The Bologna manufacturer has signed a four-year agreement with Dorna Sports, which will see it take over from foundation MotoE manufacturer Energica.
“We are very proud to announce Ducati as the new, single manufacturer for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup,” said Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
“With their incredible racing history, it is an honour to welcome this commitment from one of the best-known manufacturers in the paddock and to take on this new challenge together.
“We are eager to see what the future has in store and continue to watch this technology develop and grow, with the MotoGP paddock and MotoE continuing to drive innovation and evolution in the motorcycling industry – at the same time as creating an incredible on-track spectacle.
“In addition, we would like to thank Energica for the important role they have played in the inception and growth of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup.
“They have made an invaluable contribution to making the series what it is now as we look forward to another season racing together in 2022, ahead of this new era.”
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali identified weight savings as a key goal, with the Ego Corsa motorcycles which currently populate the category being a relatively heavy 260kg each.
“We are very proud of this agreement because, like every first, it represents a historic moment for our company,” said Domenicali.
“Ducati is always focused towards the future and every time it enters a new world it does so aiming to create the best-performing product possible.
“This agreement comes at the right time for Ducati, which has been studying electric powertrains for years, as it will allow us to develop within a controlled field: that of competition.
“We will work to give every participant in the FIM MotoE World Cup a high-performance, electric motorcycle and one made to exemplify being lightweight.
“It’s in the area of weight, which is a fundamental element of sports bikes, which will prove the greatest challenge. Lightweight machinery has always been in Ducati’s DNA and thanks to the technology and chemistry of the batteries that are evolving quickly, we are sure that we can achieve excellent results.
“We test our innovations and future-focused technological solutions on circuits all over the world and then create exciting and desirable products for Ducatisti.
“I am convinced that, once again, we will treasure the experience we gain in the world of competition in order to transfer and apply it to production motorcycles.”
The first MotoE World Cup was contested in 2019, although it was a late start to competition due to a fire which wiped out all 18 bikes overnight at a pre-season test.
The category has run exclusively at European MotoGP events so far, with six to seven races per season, including a handful of double-header weekends.
Matteo Ferrari was the inaugural World Cup winner and finished second in 2020 to Jordi Torres, who clinched a second straight title last month.
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