MotoGP Launches FIM MotoE World Cup for Electric Bikes in 2019

Blasphemous. Sacrilegious. Profane. These are words being uttered by die-hard racing fans, much like when Formula E was introduced in 2014. ...

Blasphemous. Sacrilegious. Profane. These are words being uttered by die-hard racing fans, much like when Formula E was introduced in 2014. The two-wheel racing fraternity have another championship in the works and the time has come for...*squirm*...electric bike racing.

Former GP 250cc world champion Loris Capirossi demonstrating the Energica Ego at Italy’s Vallelunga Circuit. Image credit - Energica Motor Company

At the launch event in Rome, energy firm Enel was revealed as the title sponsor and the Energica Ego bike will be used for the championship. Seven private MotoGP teams—Tech3, LCR, Marc VDS, Pramac, Avintia, Angel Nieto and Gresini—will field two bikes each. Four teams drawn from the Moto2 and Moto3 classes will run one bike each.

Image credit - www.cycleworld.com

"Dorna together with FIM are delighted to move ahead into the world of electric mobility - an option we consider a parallel path for the future," Dorna CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta ,said.

The Energica Ego bike produces 145 horsepower for a top speed of around 240 km/h (150 mph) in road trim. However, these figures will definitely be dialled up for racing. Energica Motor Company S.p.A. is based in Modena, Italy, and was founded by Livia and Franco Cevolini in 2014.

At the launch, Loris Capirossi, nine-time premier class Grand Prix winner, who is Dorna's representative in Race Direction, participated in the launch and rode the bike for promotional purposes.

“The first time I tested the Ego I was really impressed,” Capirossi said. “The feeling is different compared to a normal bike, but it’s good. You don’t really feel the weight because the distribution is quite low. Now we are working to improve the project, and we have almost a year. The torque of this bike is always the same, from zero to 100.”


Need a charge, anyone?
Image credit- www.autosport.com

Ezpeleta has spoken in the past about building solar charging stations at the circuits where the MotoE will be held. Such charging stations will presumably be very handy for any other electric bike riders who use the facilities.

The Energica Ego rocked last year’s TT Zero where it became the first production electric bike to lap the famous 37¾-mile track. It finished seventh and set a new production electric bike lap record in the process. The calendar for the MotoE World Cup 2019 has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to consist of five eight-lap races, all in Europe.

Here’s a vid of the bike :




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