A couple of months ago (in October 2021), Dorna announced that Ducati would be the sole supplier of motorcycles to the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup; the electric class of the MotoGP World Championship; starting from 2023. And in preparation, Michele Pirro?s been spinning some laps at Misano, putting the Ducati MotoE prototype through its paces.

I won?t wax lyrical about my thoughts regarding the news that we have a one-make series at GP level. I?ve already done that here. Spoiler alert though, I think it?s a load of poppycock.

I will say this though, that?s the best looking electric motorcycle I think I?ve ever seen. If they want us to buy electric bikes, they should definitely make them look like that.

This one is just an early prototype, it has to be said. It?s over a year until Ducati take over as sole-supplier to the championship, so we?re told the prototype, codenamed V21L, is a work in progress.
The goal, say Ducati, is to create bikes with ?high performance, characterised by their lightness. ” We all know though that building decent electric bikes, that don?t weigh a ton, isn?t easy. But that?s what they?re trying to do, so good luck to them.

And whilst this prototype is not available for the general public to buy, nor do Ducati currently have a production electric motorcycle, the whole project is really one big R&D exercise. With the goal being ?to study how to produce, as soon as the technology allows, a Ducati electric vehicle that...