Battery Technology Isn’t Quite There Yet
The future is electric. That’s what Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said at a University of Bologna event not too long ago. In an interview with Motorcycle.com, Domenicali clarified his remarks. He said that he still believes in what he said, but that the electric future may still be a little ways off, at least for a real-deal motorcycle.
Domenicali said battery technology isn’t quite there yet. It would work for an e-mobility solution but not necessarily for a true motorcycle application. He said the possibilities for the future are wide-ranging. Ducati could get into e-mobility or just focus on more traditional electric motorcycles.
So, it will depend which type of vehicle. Basically, what makes the difference is the requested range, but I’m pretty sure that we will see a development in battery technology which at the end, it’s where everything starts from.
The battery technology and the ranges currently available seem to be what keeps Domenicali from thinking a traditional electric motorcycle is totally plausible right now. He sees a conflict between having a long range and a lightweight bike. “With the current technology, it’s a bit of niche because you need to compromise on range, basically, if you want to have a light motorcycle,” he said.
Domenicali sounded optimistic overall for the future of the technology and did seem to stick to his statement that the future is electric. However, it’s precisely that, the future. Not right now. Domenicali said digital technology is progressing faster than chemical technology, meaning battery developments are taking longer than some other kinds of technology advancements.
Because the battery tech—specifically the amount of range you can get in relation to how much a battery weighs—are still limiting, it may be a while before we see a true Ducati electric motorcycle.