Energica to Supply Motorcycles for Electric MotoGP Class
The FIM Moto-e World Cup racing series will begin in 2019.
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Italian startup Energica will be the sole manufacturer of racing motorcycles for the FIM Moto-e World Cup which is an all-electric class of MotoGP. The race bike will be a modified version of the Energica Ego which is a production bike that’s available for sale at four dealers in the U.S., three of which are in California with the fourth being in North Carolina at the brand’s North American headquarters.
The production version of the Energica Ego is powered by an oil-cooled permanent magnet AC electric motor that makes 136-horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque and has a limited top speed of 150 mph. It has an 11.7 kilowatt-hour battery with a full charge time of 3.5 hours or can charge 85 percent in 30 minutes when hooked up to a fast charger. The Ego has a steel tubular trellis frame, Bosch switchable ABS, and Brembo disc brakes. By any standard, the Energica Ego is a formidable sport bike which starts at $24,900.
We don’t know much about the special racing variant of the Ego other than that it will be a “tuned version” of the production model, according to the press release. It’s safe to assume the electric motor will be tuned to crank out more power and torque with some other upgrades likely coming to components like suspension and brakes to make it better suited for track use.
Energica claims to be the first manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycle, but it certainly isn’t the only one. American manufacturer Lightning builds the LS-218, an electric sports bike which makes the bold claim of being the world’s fastest production motorcycle. It gets its name from its impressive top speed of 218 mph.
Electric motorcycles can do amazing things and some of the big bike manufacturers are starting to get in on the trend. The new FIM Moto-e World Cup racing series could give electric bikes a big boost into the mainstream.
