Hyperdrive
Ducati’s First E-Bike Is Years Off as Batteries Aren’t Ready
- North American CEO sees work left to do on range and weight
- View contrasts with Harley, Honda and parent VW’s enthusiasm
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Ducati won’t launch an electric motorcycle for consumers anytime soon, making the motorcycle manufacturer an outlier in Volkswagen AG’s €89 billion ($94 billion) push to electrify its stable of businesses.
The Italian brand will be the sole producer of e-bikes racing in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup this year and presented its first electric motorcycle prototype for the project in June. But Jason Chinnock, chief executive officer of Ducati’s North American operations, said the company still has work to do improving battery range and performance before an e-bike will be ready for showrooms.