Last week, on the eve of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna, Motorsport.com had anticipated the news that Ducati confirmed a couple of hours later: the Borgo Panigale manufacturer will take over Energia as the sole supplier of the bikes that will race in the Cup MotoE World Championship, starting from 2023 and until 2026. A few days have passed since the news and Energica, through its CEO Livia Cevolini, is keen to take stock of the experience in the championship, as well as highlighting the difficulties that Ducati will encounter when he’ll come.
What do you think of the experience of these three years in MotoE?
The experience was absolutely positive in all aspects. We have been a springboard, both for us but above all for the electric motorcycle sector in general. It was the first time that important names like Dorna and MotoGP have bet on the electric. Like all projects, there are things that should be improved, but the overall balance is great. In three years the championship has grown a lot and all the parties involved, from the drivers to the teams, are very happy. It wasn’t easy for them either.
Would you have ever imagined that MotoE races would come to offer such a high level of spectacularity?
I’ve always been positive and optimistic, even more so than the people around me. My technicians are humble, I was calm, they are not. I knew they could do it because they are great. We are a small company that does amazing things. A company that motivates others, because the electric car market is much more advanced than that of motorcycles. It was not an easy challenge, as we were asked to develop vehicles whose performance did not collapse. We redeployed the staff, taking people who were focused on street bikes and asking them to move on to the races. We did not have nor do we have a racing department. All this without losing sight of the product on the street.
What aspects would you improve in the World Cup?
I am a dreamer and I am never satisfied. If you could ask for something, ask for MotoE to become electric MotoGP, which has not yet happened. It’s a minor league, but I want this. The electric MotoGP with the attention it deserves. If we aspire to parity in the market between petrol and electric vehicles, we must act accordingly and give motivation, with the entry of different manufacturers to create competition, which is what accelerates technological development. And with communication of the same level.
Why doesn’t Energica renew with Dorna?
This was a 100% consensus decision. Both sides agreed on the need to make a change. We have been looking at different options for a year already, because the projects we are carrying out in other markets, such as Micro Mobility, require a lot of effort and commitment. We think we have to do other things and we can’t do all of them. We gave birth to the MotoE and we made it grow; now it is right that we give way to others who will take our place. Dorna also wanted to renew the face of this championship a little.
Sketch Ducati MotoE
Photo by: Ducati Corse
Have you talked to Ducati?
We have known each other with Ducati for many years and have a good relationship. We didn’t discuss this aspect of MoToE because they wanted to keep it secret. I think we could have helped them with something, but not too much. It won’t be easy for Ducati, because making an electric motorcycle is very different than making one with petrol. It is right that they follow their path, even though I know that in their factory they have our own bikes that they are studying.
Were you surprised by the fact that it was Ducati that took this role, when until now it had always shown reluctance in the face of the limits that the batteries still show?
In fact, I’ve always thought Ducati cared. If she hadn’t tried, she would have been not open-minded. I hoped he would also work in the electrical field, because this is the way to go, needless to say the opposite. It is true that Domenicali’s statements [CEO di Ducati] they weren’t always in favor, but it’s a bit like her DNA: saying one thing and then doing the opposite. The challenge that presents itself is great. It is not easy to achieve the required level of reliability and that all bikes have the same performance. This is what the market is asking: that the big brands be involved. The advantage is that we will always be one step ahead of Ducati, for the ten years of experience we have.
Aren’t you a little scary to leave the races when they have reached the peak of interest?
What scares me most is being afraid. I want us to do other things. We have always tried different paths, unexplored until that moment. We are a company that grows, if we stand still we are dead. We have to be the first to accomplish something new, what scares me is staying in our comfort zone.
What element developed in these three years on the tracks has had the greatest impact on road bikes?
The most important innovation was undoubtedly the battery. This is the main reason why we decided to enter the racing world. Visibility too, but with the idea that the applied technology could be applied and then sold to our customers. The competitions must have two purposes: marketing and development of the technology that will arrive on the road. This new battery offered 50% more performance than the previous model and this implies incredible innovation. We have taken all this out of a test as important as that of racing.
What impact did the MotoE adventure have in economic terms?
Not too much, to tell the truth. What MotoE did was to give credibility to the electric motorcycle market. The whole market has grown, but we have seen a cause-and-effect phenomenon in sales. These grow every year, but this regardless of the MotoE. Obviously, everything helps, but it’s not like with petrol vehicles. Above all, in the United States, the celebration of a big event immediately increases the sales of the winning brand. In our case, the one who benefits me is the market on a global scale.
Departure, Eric Granado, One Energy Racing leads
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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