Rumors that the MotoE World Championship was short circuiting proved true as FIM announced a “hiatus” for the EV version of MotoGP. Despite Ducati taking over as the exclusive MotoE bike supplier from the faltering Energica in 2023, the MotoE experiment never gained traction. On Thursday, September 11, the FIM and Dorna announced that MotoE will take an indefinite pause at the end of this season, citing a “lack of fan interest and slower-than-expected development of the electric performance motorcycle market.”
But with the backing of parent company turned technology partner VW, Ducati is doubling down on the E-experiment. announcing:
With the FIM MotoE World Championship on hiatus at the end of the 2025 season, Ducati continues to develop its expertise in alternative technologies to internal combustion. The Ducati MotoE project was created with the aim of building up internal know-how within the company in order to be ready if and when battery technology allowed for the creation of an electric road bike in line with the values of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.”
Throwing good money after bad? Or maybe trying to recoup some of the effort put into the program Ducati claims to have made headway. “During these years of the MotoE World Championship, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer has collected a large amount of data thanks to the 18 riders on the grid who have battled it out in every race. In three years of development, the evolution of the cells has allowed for a weight savings of 18 lbs in the battery pack of the V21L prototype – a significant reduction, but still inadequate to make the ‘electric MotoGP from Borgo Panigale’ as light as an internal combustion race bike with adequate range.”
Bottom line is development will persist in Italy… “Among its various research and development activities, the Borgo Panigale-based company is working with Volkswagen Group companies to continue studying and testing new technologies to create battery packs with higher energy density. On September 8th, the first prototype of the V21L was presented at the IAA Mobility in Munich, equipped with QuantumScape solid-state batteries and developed in collaboration with Audi and PowerCo. This motorcycle represents a first step in development and confirms Ducati’s ongoing research into alternative technologies to internal combustion.”
