Electric Ducati V21L MotoE Racer Gets Tested

It will accelerate from 0-60 in less than 2.8 seconds, blasting through the air until it reaches nearly 170 mph — and it does so in near perfect silence. It’s the all-electric Ducati V21L, and it will win the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. In 2023, anyway. For now, it’s still in testing … but it looks glorious.

To say that the electric V21L is a bit of a departure for Ducati is an understatement. The company built its reputation on V-Twin racers like the 888, 900SS, and 916 in the late 80s and 90s, before almost single-handedly creating the cut-down streetfighter style with the introduction of the naked Monster. The V4 Paginale, in its hottest trim, puts out more than 230 hp in a slinky, sexy, two-wheeled package. None of these are electric, and as recently as May of this year, it seemed impossible to consider an electric Ducati.

That’s not my take, that’s what Ducati’s VP of global sales and member of the board Francesca Milicia said. “Will we produce an electric Ducati soon? No,” he said, simply. “We think that for the kind of machine we produce now, an electric motorcycle cannot guarantee the pleasure, the range, the weight, etc., that Ducati riders expect.”

Milicia isn’t the only Ducati exec who seemed to feel that an electric Ducati was a long way off. In a statement to Moto.it, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said, “We have several very advanced areas of experimentation within the company; let’s say that at the moment the main complexity in making electric motorcycles with high performance and autonomy lies in the battery … and right now we are evaluating when and at what moment the amount of energy that can be stored in a battery will somehow make a product such as a full scale electric motorcycle usable.”

Apparently, that “moment” was just around the corner, and the V21L is rolling proof.

There are no official specs released yet, beyond some basic performance estimates. Range and riding time are also a guess, but as the Ducati is effectively replacing the Energica as the MotoE’s single spec racer in 2023 (See? I told you it would win!), it’s probably safe to assume something approaching — or, more likely, exceeding — that bike’s 153-mile combined range is on offer from Ducati.

Regardless of the specs, however, it’s exciting to see another high-powered Ducati with an electric motor, and the racing world is enriched simply by virtue of how freakin’ gorgeous this thing is.

If you disagree, scroll on down to the comments and let us know. Then — I dunno. Question the things that make you happy, I guess?

Source | Images: Ducati, via Forbes.