As we reported recently in our interview with Belgian e-bike maker Saroléa, MotoGP owners Dorna were quietly testing several electric bikes to decide which single manufacturer would supply racing machines for the five-race Moto-e World Cup in 2019. Mugen, Lightning, Saroléa, and Energica racers were vetted by former 250cc World Champion Loris Capirossi, with Italiy’s Energica chosen to supply its race-tuned and modified Ego machine.MotoGP gets a new category in 2019, the Moto-e World Cup, with bikes provided by Energica.
“The FIM Moto-e World Cup is a new and exciting project for Dorna, and it makes us very proud to announce Energica will be the supplier in this new venture,” said Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta. “We believe in excellence, quality and performance and we cannot think of a better collaborator with whom to launch the FIM Moto-e World Cup. Energica are an industry-leading and innovative company and we look forward to the incredible spectacle of electric-powered racing together.”
Eighteen riders will contest five races in Europe only, with a minimum of 10 laps per race.
The street Ego accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds, reaching a top speed of 150 mph, faster than a 600 supersport. The Ego’s battery, inverter, charger and ABS are constantly monitored and managed by the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), completely designed and developed by Energica. The VCU implements multimap adaptive energy, and a power management algorithm manages the bike.
Additionally, the Ego does not have a gearbox or a clutch; everything is regulated by the ride-by-wire system, allowing the rider to control the acceleration torque of the motor and deceleration based on the regenerative torque or engine braking. Enerica manufactures its bikes in the same region as Ferrari.
“We are proud to have been chosen by Dorna and we are already committed to this project,” said Energica CEO Livia Cevolini. “The passion for engines is what brought us here, to build new dream vehicles right in the beating heart of the Italian Motor Valley, Modena, Italy. Moto-e is an excellent project. After all, it is what we hoped since our racing years, now it can be managed professionally thanks to Dorna and its unique and long-lasting experience.”
When the green light flashes for that first FIM Moto-e World Cup race start in 2019, the roar of the crowd will certainly be heard over the silent running of 18 Italian e-stallions, and we can’t wait.
[Photo: Energica Motor Company]
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