Ducati’s electrified future arrives in 2027
Leow Ju Len
15/08/2022
Ducati says its first fully-electric bike is still years away, but it’s not standing still in the meantime
Borgo Panigale, Bologna, Italy
Ducati is doing better than ever around the world, when exactly can we expect a fully-electric Ducati?
The answer is 2027.
At a press conference with other media, MotoBuyer attended in Ducati’s HQ at Borgo Panigale, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said that the near future will see small/commuter bikes become fully electric first, while Ducati’s own electric bikes will only see production from 2027/2028 onwards.
And unlike cars again, the path for electrified motorcycling is quite unclear. Electrics are still in their infancy. On the market so far are Energica’s range, Zero, Harley-Davidson’s Livewire, the BMW CE 04 and maybe a handful of others. Hybrid motorcycles exist, for example, but very few are in production.
However, it is clear that Ducati has taken a big first step into the EV world with what it knows best: racing.
With its MotoE project announced earlier this year, one of the areas it’s working on is making batteries lighter and more power dense. Ducati, which will become the sole supplier of machines for the MotoE World Cup, had two main criteria from Dorna :
1. A keb weight of less than 237kg
2. Be capable of completing race distance of seven to 10 laps.
Eventually, as we’ve seen so often with Ducati’s exciting tech, these developments should transfer to road/production bikes. But Ducati may not bid farewell to combustion engines just yet.
Firstly, Domenicali notes that PHEV bikes are in fact a possibility, if quite a complex one. Secondly, Ducati’s vice-president of Global Sales Francesco Milicia added separately that e-fuels is something that Ducati is actively studying.
Interestingly, sister brand Porsche has invested in Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF) Global, which will produce e-fuels (made from hydrogen and carbon dioxide) from its plant in Chile. Using such fuels could extend the lifetime for combustion-engined bikes and cars, provided overall emissions come down enough.
For cars, the 2030 deadlines in Europe seem quite concrete, but the picture for motorcycles is far from clear at this point. But it looks like even with greener practices in mind, the roar of Ducati’s bikes aren’t in immediate danger.
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About the Author
Leow Ju Len
CarBuyer Singapore's original originator, Ju-Len in person is exactly how he is on the written word and behind the wheel. Meaning that he darts all over the place and just when you thought he's lost the plot, you realise that it's just you not keeping up with his incredible rate of speed and thought.
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