Histor-E maker: Revolutionary MotoE Ducati under construction

History is in the making as production of Ducati’s first electric motorcycle has begun in Bologna a little over a year since testing of the bike was carried out.

Disappointingly not named the Ducat-E, the V21L will be the lone protagonist of the 2023 MotoE World Championship season after Ducati took over the series from Energica. In total 23 race-ready bikes will be manufactured, with 18 battling it out on track and the remaining five going to Ducati.

A 110kg battery is at the heart of the bike with a capacity of 18kWh. This is secured by a carbon fibre tub that acts as a stressed member between an aluminium frame at the front, weighing 3.7kg, and an aluminium rear swing arm with geometry inspired by the firm’s Desmosedici MotoGP bike.

A carbon subframe forms the tail supporting the seat. The motor produces a claimed 147.5bhp and a modest 103.3lbft of torque with a redline rev limit of 18,000, that can propel the 224.5kg V12L to 170mph.

All this brutish electronics produces heat so the V21L features an advanced liquid cooling system that allows re-charging to begin immediately via a tail mounted 20kW charging socket as the battery does not need to cool. Ducati say the V21L can be charged to 80% capacity in 45 minutes.

Stopping power is supplied by Brembos gripping a pair of 338.5mm discs upfront. Öhlins take care of damping duties with NPX 25/30 pressurised upside down forks on the front and a fully adjustable TTX36 shock at the rear.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati said: “The start of production of the Ducati MotoE is a historic moment for our company, which with this project is thoroughly studying the technologies of the future for the world of motorcycling.

He added: “We are investing to build know-how, so that we will be ready when battery technology should allow the creation of an exciting electric road bike with the weight, performance and range that enthusiasts expect from a Ducati.”

The 2023 season will get underway with the French Grand Prix at Le Mans on Saturday, May 13. The season will be fought over 16 races at eight tracks.

Ducati MotoE bike facts and figures

Carbon fibre tub: Not only does the tub cradle the 110kg battery, it also acts as a stressed member between a front, aluminium frame and the swingarm.

Heavy going: At 225kg the V21L is a heavy race-going motorcycle so in order to extract maximum performance from the bike/rider combination Öhlins have been fitted all round.

High revving, low torque: The powerhouse at the heart of the V21L will propel the bike to 170mph and produces almost 150bhp and just over 100ftlb of torque, modest for an electric motor.

Silverstone bound: For the first time the MotoE Championship will be heading to the UK, with a race event at Silverstone between August 4, and 6 featuring two races.

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Ducat-E: Bologna brand release details on electric MotoE racer and hint at future production machines

First published 30 June 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Ducati have released fresh technical details of their 2023 MotoE racer, which looks set to provide the development data for plug-in production bike of the future.

Dubbed the V21L, the finished racer will be the sole machine used in the 2023 MotoE World Cup, with an 18-strong fleet lining up on the grid at a number of MotoGP rounds. They will take over from fellow Italian brand Energica, who have supplied modified versions of their Ego sportsbike since the inception of the racing class.

“The world is going through a complex period and environmental sustainability is an element that all individuals and all companies must consider a priority if we want to preserve the delicate balance of the planet,” Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said.

The V21L is a collaboration between Ducati and their ‘Corse’ racing department, with development work then carried out on track by vastly experienced world championship racers Michele Pirro, Alex De Angelis and Chaz Davies.

The result of this stringent development is an electric racer boasting a claimed weight of 224.5kg, with a claimed max power figure of 147.5bhp and 103.3lbft of torque. It’s also achieved just shy of 171mph at open, fast circuits like Mugello.

“Having the opportunity to become suppliers of the FIM MotoE World Cup is not only a technologically exciting venture, but also the best way to interpret the challenges of the new millennium,” Ducati Technical Director Vincenzo De Silvio added. “Racing competition represents the ideal terrain on which to develop innovative technologies that will then transfer to production motorcycles.

“At this moment, the most important challenges in this field remain those related to the size, weight, autonomy of the batteries and the availability of the charging networks,” De Silvio continued. “Helping the company’s internal expertise to grow is already essential today to be ready when the time comes to put the first street electric Ducati into production.”

Providing power on the V21L is a 110kg battery pack with a capacity of 18kWh, helping the motor spin to a heady 18,000rpm. A 20kW charging socket is also found in the tail, with an advanced liquid cooling system to keep the temperature consistent and allow the power pack to be fully charged without need to cool down.

Ducati are claiming 45 minutes to recharge to 80% of its range and have also borrowed chassis technology from their combustion-engined superbikes. For starters, the carbon fibre tub holding the battery in place acts as a stressed member and uses a 3.7kg aluminium front frame, much like a Panigale V4. A 4.8kg aluminium swingarm also sports geometry inspired by the firm’s Desmosedici MotoGP racer, with a carbon subframe integrating the tail and riders’ seat.

Providing stopping power is Brembo, with beefy double steel 338.5mm discs upfront. You’ll also find 43mm Öhlins NPX 25/30 pressurised upside-down forks taken from the €100,000 Superleggera V4, while a fully-adjustable Öhlins TTX36 shock absorber is found at the rear.