The Ducati era in MotoE will begin in 2023, but the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is certainly not unprepared and last week brought to the track a first prototype of the electric motorcycle that it will supply to the championship in two seasons. V21L is the name of the prototype, whose first test was entrusted to Michele Pirro, a veteran tester who is now Ducati’s reference point.
The supply agreement was announced last October, with Ducati picking up the baton from Energica and supplying the bikes for the fully electric category until 2026. From Borgo Panigale they had already expressed their intention to start working immediately for to be able to arrive prepared for 2023 and here at Misano Michele Pirro immediately went into action. This is the first test of this new prototype, born from the synergy between Ducati Corse and the Ducati R&D designers, led by Ducati eMobility Director Roberto Canè.
The challenge that Ducati is facing is not a simple one. The development of an electric motorcycle is a novelty, an as yet unexplored field. The Red, however, aims to bring to the track a bike that reflects the characteristics of the championship and that brings further development, which can then also be transported to the road.
At the end of the first test, Michele Pirro expresses his impressions: “Testing the MotoE prototype on the track was a great stimulus, because it marks the beginning of an important chapter in Ducati’s history. The bike is light and already has a good balance. Furthermore, the connection between acceleration in the opening phase and ergonomics is very similar to MotoGP. If it weren’t for the silence and for the fact that in this test we decided to limit power delivery to 70% of performance, I could have thought I was riding my bike “.
Roberto Canè, Ducati eMobility Director, says: “We are experiencing a truly extraordinary moment. I find it hard to believe that this is reality and that it is not a dream! The first electric Ducati on the track is exceptional not only for its uniqueness, but also for the type of project: it is demanding both for the performance objectives and for the extremely short times. Precisely for this reason the work of the team that deals with this project is incredible and the result of the test repays us for the efforts made in recent months. It’s not finished yet; we know that there is still a long way to go, but in the meantime we have laid an important brick ”.
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