Enel, Ducati and Dorna Sports present the new era for MotoE™ at Vallelunga as the start of the season draws ever closer.
The 2023 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship has now been officially launched! It’s truly a new era for the electric competition as it gains World Championship status, races more rounds in more countries than ever before, and welcomes a new manufacturer: Ducati. On Friday, Vallelunga hosted the official presentation ahead of competition beginning in May, with the Championship’s key players all in attendance.
Enel CEO and General Manager Francesco Starace, Ducati Motor CEO Claudio Domenicali, and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta all took to the stage to welcome everyone to this new era of competition, followed by a presentation from Elisabetta Ripa, CEO of Enel X Way – the Official Smart Charging Partner of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship. Philippe Jacquin, Senior VP of tyre development at Michelin, the official, sole tyre supplier to MotoE™, also took to the stage.
Francesco Starace, CEO of Enel: “We are proud to partner once again with FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship and to have the addition of another Italian excellence such as Ducati on board with us for this journey. The world of motorsports provides the ideal setting for integrating and testing cutting-edge charging technologies that can then be applied to everyday mobility, supporting the electrification of transportation, which is key to ensuring the energy transition.”
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati: “The decision to participate in the MotoE World Championship as sole supplier of the bikes is a cornerstone of the Ducati strategy. In fact, electrification, together with the introduction of carbon neutral fuels for internal combustion engines (e-fuel), will be necessary to reduce Ducati’s carbon footprint and allow us to achieve our long-term sustainability goals. However, every true Ducati is above all emotion, so it is very important to manage this transition very closely, taking care to maintain the sporty character and fun-to-ride characteristics of every Borgo Panigale bike. With the V21L we wanted to challenge the limits of the sector by aiming to create the most performing electric motorcycle ever made for the track. Above all, we wanted to develop the Company’s internal expertise to be ready when battery technology, in particular weight, will make it possible to create an electric street motorcycle with all the characteristics that distinguish a Ducati. Having 18 riders with different needs and riding styles on the track at the same time represents a great opportunity for Ducati to study what could become the character of a future electric Ducati. The first tests in Jerez went very well. Despite unfavourable weather, the feedback on the bike from the riders and teams was very good, with the new unofficial circuit record. Ducati has never built such a large number of prototypes and this too represents a challenge within a challenge for us.”
Elisabetta Ripa, CEO of Enel X Way: “As Enel X Way we are the Official Smart Charging Partner of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, leveraging on our expertise to provide the championship with a sustainable charging solution. We will provide two charging systems integrated into a fully sustainable micro-grid that also includes a set of battery storage systems and solar panels. This solution, developed especially for the championship, gives us the opportunity to show that through innovation as well as research and development activities we can ensure the highest performance to electric mobility.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna: “From the beginning, when we began talking with Enel, for us, it was our aim at Dorna and that of motorsport to be on board with any kind of new technology, so when electricity started to become important for mobility, we thought it was important too. Any kind of improvement in the last 100 years has come from competition – that means bikes, cars, everything. First it goes into competition and improvement is made that way. Four years ago, we thought the same. We shared these ideas with Enel and at the time, Energica, the previous manufacturer who we thank for these four years, and the aim was to develop it with the best teams in MotoGP, on the best stage like MotoGP, with the same television – to provide new technology with the best level we can. And we’re very happy, the races are just getting better and the new step with Ducati is another level. It will be even better. This year, it also becomes the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship… we are following the right path and it’s important to provide the tools for the industry to develop new technologies.
“Like everything we do in MotoGP, the goal is to be better every day. Every year we start, we know the following year needs to be even better. To try and improve together. Not just the bike, also here the work done by Enel, the technology. And moving the chargers and infrastructure around the world… we started in Jerez four years ago and the first experience was difficult! Together, we worked to improve, and I think today the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship is very different. We know so much more than we knew four years ago and I think in four years we will say the same.”
No launch would be complete without seeing the machine out on track, however, and the new Ducati V21L went for a show run around the classic Italian venue in the hands of experienced rider Alex De Angelis. The perfect showcase for the new era, the action brought proceedings to a close – now all that’s left to do is race and crown the first ever MotoE™ World Champion!
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