Ducati MotoE prototype details revealed

Like it or loathe it - the future of motoring is electric. We’ve all watched a MotoE race with a look of perplexion on our faces, as we try to decide whether or not we like it. It’s not the speed and it’s certainly not the looks - however, we (like many others) are still not convinced that MotoE works as a spectator sport as much as the bang-bang-shouty equivalent.

Regardless, dinosaur juice won’t last forever - so sooner or later we’re going to have to get on the electric bandwagon.

Thankfully there are machines like the newly-revealed Ducati "V21L" prototype to capture our imaginations and get our human juices pumping. And it’s a good thing too - because Ducati is set to become the sole supplier of the FIM MotoE World Cup in 2023.

We’ll skip over all of the obligatory corporate soundbites regarding environmentalism and ethical responsibilities - we’ve all heard them before. What we really want to hear is some concrete numbers to understand where these bikes are in terms of their development and how they currently stack up against more traditional power units.

Whilst still in development, the current bike kicks out 110 kW (150hp) and has reached 275kmh (171mph) around Mugello.

Ducati R&D Director, Vincenzo De Silvio said: "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. Ducati's experience in the FIM MotoE World Cup will be a fundamental support for product R&D, together with the physiological evolution of technology and chemistry.”

How any of this really translates to road bikes is a little unclear at this point. Obviously, it’s not as simple as strapping an electric motor into a pre-existing chassis - there are new issues relating to the battery and cooling system (for starters) that are unique to electric bikes. However, running 18 bikes throughout a championship season is a good indicator of how much time and money Ducati is investing into advancing the technology.

Long-lasting partnerships with third-party manufacturers make the job a little easier - such as an Öhlins NPX 25/30 pressurized fork with 43 mm diameter upside-down tubes at the front, derived from the Superleggera V4, and an Öhlins TTX36 fully-adjustable shock absorber at the rear. Öhlins also provides the adjustable steering damper.

The braking system is supplied by Brembo and is sized for the specific requirements of MotoE. The brakes are steel rather than carbon, but they’re wider and thicker with two GP4RR M4 32/36 calipers and a PR19/18 radial master cylinder. Teams can also choose to equip their bikes with an optional rear brake control positioned on the left handlebar, which the rider can use as an alternative to the pedal one.

To bring the bike closer to MotoGP machinery, Ducati has relied on test-rider input from Michele Pirro, Alex De Angelis and Chaz Davies.

But don’t forget, this isn’t just a result of Ducati alone. The fact that Ducati belongs to the Volkswagen Group, provides a touch of German reliability to the Italian innovation.

All-in-all, it looks and sounds pretty good. That is to say, it sounds good on paper. The whine of an electric motor… we’re still not sure.