Three weeks ago, the 2025 MotoE World Championship began at Le Mans with Ducati's One-Make V21L bikes, but global interest is still limited. Even after six years, the supposedly CO2-free motorcycle racing series remains clearly overshadowed by the traditional MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 GP classes with their conventional combustion engines.
The Italian contribution to the MotoE category is enormous, starting with the number of teams and riders, and it is also evident in the selection of motorcycle brands. In the first four years, the Energica Ego Corsa bikes were used. At that time, the MotoE had to accept the designation of a World Championship. Since 2023, Ducati has been supplying the V21L models, which were developed much more consistently for racing and were received with noticeable enthusiasm by the teams and riders. The MotoE category was elevated to the status of a pure World Championship in 2023, although all competitions will continue to take place in Europe to save costs and because interest from overseas organizers is approaching zero.
The 2025 season began at Le Mans with two races, as usual. Before the next MotoE in Assen (June 27th-28th), Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team with 36 points) leads the World Championship standings ahead of his Italian compatriots Kevin Zannoni (Power Electronics Aspar with 33 points) and Andrea Mantovani (Klint Forward with 29 points).
So far, two of the MotoE titles have been won by Italians: by Matteo Ferrari in 2019 and by Mattia Casadei in 2023.
MotoE: All World Championship Winners
2019: Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini)
2020: Jordi Torres (Join Contract Pons 40)
2021: Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40)
2022: Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact)
MotoE: All World Champions
2023: Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40)
2024: Héctor Garzó (Dynavolt Intact)
But the first few years of the MotoE racing series were very bumpy, as the challenges of such an all-electric championship were greatly underestimated by those involved, including the energy company Enel, which to this day cannot truly guarantee the requirement to power and charge the bikes with 100 percent renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
Anyone who inquires today or inspects the paddock about the type of energy used to charge the almost 100 kg batteries will receive evasive answers – or none at all.
The electricity comes from the socket, so the motto goes. Whether it's from hydropower, nuclear power, wind power, or solar panels, there's little information available. The teams are assured that Enel charges the batteries in Italy with green electricity.
In the paddock, the electricity then flows from the racetrack operator's sockets. Whether the energy is renewable is of no concern to anyone.
The start of the 2019 MotoE World Cup was already ill-fated. On March 13, before the second day of testing with Energica's standard-issue motorcycles, a fire and devastating scenes unfolded in the paddock of the "Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto." The major fire in Jerez signaled the end of the loudly proclaimed hypocrisy surrounding supposedly green electricity. Renewable energy was nowhere to be seen in the charging of the batteries of Energica's 20 MotoE motorcycles.
When the teams left the paddock late in the evening in mid-March 2019, none of the vehicles' batteries were apparently charged. Seven technicians were assigned to charge the vehicles on behalf of series sponsor Enel. The fire broke out 15 minutes after midnight on the night of Wednesday to Thursday...
Dynavolt Intact GP team principal Jürgen Lingg couldn't believe his eyes as he walked toward the MotoE tent on the morning of the second day of testing, which also housed the pit boxes of all the teams in the inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup.
"I have no idea how or why this fire broke out. The technicians responsible for charging the batteries were already having problems charging the electric motors on day one. They even considered moving the bikes from this new tent to the usual pit boxes in the main building. But later that evening, they explained to us that they would manage to ensure there was enough power. We left the track after the first day of testing at around 8:30 p.m. At that time, the motorcycle batteries weren't yet charged. The technicians in charge told us they would stay all night and charge one battery at a time. I can't say what happened next. I simply assume the fire broke out while the batteries were being charged," said a dismayed Jürgen Lingg. "We received no information, nothing at all. The police were there, and everything was cordoned off. They're investigating everything."
At that time, all the equipment for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, which was scheduled to begin on May 5 in Jerez, was consumed by the flames. "Even our entire pit equipment burned down. All our tools and so on were in there. We have nothing left to load into our trailer," Lingg sighed. The team manager estimated the damage to the Intact team at approximately €50,000.
The approximately 260 kg motorcycles, however, were not owned by the teams; they were provided free of charge by Energica and Dorna.
Six races at five European GPs were planned; the start of the season had to be postponed for several weeks until Energica had produced enough new motorcycles.
Later, a heated dispute arose between Dorna, Enel, and Energica over who would cover the enormous costs of the fire damage, as the equipment was not insured. The damage to the 20 charred Energica bikes alone was estimated at 1.5 to 2 million euros.
Most of the MotoE riders had, as usual, left their special crash helmets and expensive leather suits in the pits overnight after the first day of testing...
Videos of the fire soon surfaced on social media, raising questions about fire safety. There was no one to be seen with a fire extinguisher, and not a single fire engine, so the new MotoE paddock tent quietly burned to the ground.
The heat from charging the 100 kg batteries of the Energica bikes remained a constant problem; even at an outside temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, huge fans were repeatedly seen next to the bikes to cool the batteries. And from the very first day, the hypocritical Energica and Enel technicians were miles away from Dorna's rather naive and optimistic plan to charge the batteries in the paddock only with renewable energy right from the beginning.
After initial investigations, it was announced that the fire did not start while the batteries were being charged. A veil of silence was subsequently drawn over this embarrassment.
After lengthy investigations, the teams were informed that the fire had broken out in a garage where no motorcycles were being charged at the time. The prototype of the "Juice Roll" was the first to catch fire. "Juice Roll" is the name Enel gives to devices that serve as "fast chargers" and can also store energy. It is a mobile charging station that also contains rechargeable batteries.
When the first plans for the MotoE World Cup became more concrete at Dorna in spring 2017, big promises were made. The batteries of the racing bikes would be able to be recharged within an hour using fast-charging stations, and the electric drives would, of course, be powered by renewable energy. The official Moto-E communiqué from Dorna and the FIM, the world governing body for motorcycles, also spoke extensively about innovation and 100 percent renewable energy the day before the fire in Jerez in 2019.
But how could Enel have ensured charging with renewable energy in the six weeks leading up to the first World Cup race if, on March 12, the 18 bikes couldn't even get enough power from the wall socket?
For a long time, not even the team managers or the IRTA technicians had any idea how long it took to charge a battery. "All we know is that the chargers have different settings, from 'quick charge' (boost) to 'trickle charge,' a maintenance charge that takes several hours," explained one technician involved.
Today in the new Ducati era, it is claimed that recharging from 0 to 85 percent of capacity takes about 20 minutes, via the integrated DC fast charging technology developed by CCS Combo.
"We will definitely not be running generators all night long to get the MotoE machines ready to go again," was Dorna's lofty goal before the start of the MotoE World Cup.
The Spanish company Acciona competed in the 2017 Dakar Rally with an electric car. Acciona's R&D department spent five years developing and researching the project. The entire project was built in Vilanova del Vallés, Spain. The power source produced 340 hp at the time, and the lithium battery modules could reportedly be charged at record speed using solar energy. However, during the 2017 Dakar Rally, several generators were in operation at night, transported from stage to stage in South America by three trucks.
In the MotoE racing series, those involved wanted to avoid such questionable maneuvers and do more than just cloak themselves in a green guise and send a welcome signal for a green future in the era of emerging e-mobility.
But the power for the standard Energica EGO Corsa motorcycles always came from the wall socket.
After this fire disaster, the GP organizers had to review the racing readiness of this MotoE concept and hastily put together a solid fire protection plan.
Because the MotoGP factory teams threatened that they would never park their precious equipment in the same paddock as the MotoE machines after this disaster.
Energica had prevailed over companies like Lightning (USA) and Sarolea (Belgium) as the supplier of the motorcycles at Dorna.
The production vehicles produced 145 hp and 200 Newton meters at 4700 rpm. What the Energica-EGO engineers are particularly proud of on the production bikes: All electronic and electrical systems were controlled by a single technological gem – the VCU, which controls the battery, inverter, charging system, ABS, and power management, including traction control. The VCU also limits the vehicle's speed and torque. There's even a "Park Assistant" for forward and reverse, active up to a speed of 3 km/h.
The Energica machines lacked a gearbox and clutch; everything was controlled by a ride-by-wire system. The ABS in the production bikes came from Bosch, and the brakes were supplied by Brembo.
The racing version was designed to deliver up to 150 hp with its 100 kg battery, but most batteries only lasted six laps, or 26 to 30 km.
"Our ambition to experiment with and develop new technologies carries a risk," admitted the FIM Enel World Cup officials.
But it wasn't just the poor performance of Energica's overweight MotoE motorcycles that caused ridiculous scenes. After all, every sensible person takes the environment into consideration. Therefore, many fans were curious to see whether the supposedly clean MotoE World Cup could truly be a harbinger of the future of motorcycle racing.
But the new racing series was not off to a good start. It rather revealed the attributes of a laughing stock, with the cabaret-like elements catching the eye.
Lorenzo Savadori then crashed during first MotoE event 2019 in Germany, and the race was stopped after five laps because the air fences allegedly needed repairs. But ettentive observers said the track marshals were afraid to touch the motorcycle to get it out of the danger zone – for fear of electrocution.
The cabaret continued seamlessly shortly afterwards at the Austrian Grand Prix. There, the race was initially scheduled for eight laps, then seven, and finally, the distance on the 4.318 km track had to be shortened to six laps – because of the uphill sections. That equated to a mammoth 25.908 km.
"With such a short distance, you can't afford a single mistake," sighed fellow favorite Bradley Smith from the Petronas team.
At the time, it was clear that the Endurance World Championship, with its 8-hour and 24-hour races, would no longer have a future once combustion engines were no longer permitted in motorcycle racing. Because the bikes would spend more time at the charging stations than on the racetrack.
At the first MotoE events in 2019, no fewer than ten diesel generators were available as charging stations for the 18 bikes. These were well camouflaged and positioned at a safe distance from the action. It was emphasized that they were run by biodiesel. But every child knows: biodiesel contains only 7 percent biofuel, which is not derived from petroleum. In Germany, the biodiesel was therefore labeled B7.
At a debilitatingly boring MotoE press conference at the Sachsenring 2019, Francesco Venturini, CEO of Enel X, was annoyed by the noise of the Rookies Cup training taking place at the same time. A Dorna manager whispered in his ear: "Yes, yes, but it's only thanks to these loud categories that we can offer MotoE and e-mobility this platform in the World Championship."
In 2019, the Energica Ego Corsa standard motorcycles were 1.321 seconds slower at the Sachsenring than the 250cc Moto3 single-cylinder with their inoffensive 55 hp.
At Le Mans 2025, MotoE rider Alessandro Zannone, on his Ducati V21L, beat Moto3 rider Quiles' best qualifying time by 0.392 seconds.
At the fourth MotoE event of 2019 (test in Jerez, test in Valencia, race in Saxony), a fire broke out in the MotoE paddock for the second time at the Austrian GP in Spielberg. At 3:30 p.m., a plume of smoke was visible from afar. Then the firefighters sprang into action, and Dorna managers Carlos Ezpeleta and Manel Arroyo hurried to the MotoE bikes and inspected the mess up close.
What had happened? One of the ten charging stations equipped with diesel generators from series sponsor Enel X exploded while charging the battery of Sachsenring winner Niki Tuuli's bike from the Ajo team. Debris flew 150 meters, but fortunately, the fire was extinguished quickly. The remains of the charging station were safely stored in a fireproof container.
After the initial bizarre incidents, no track marshal dared to go near the bike's remains. However, Dorna had since acquired two Quads with cranes, which towed a trailer with a fireproof container, into which the burned-out motorcycles were hoisted by crane, where they were expected to cool down – maybe until Christmas.
While close to ten major car manufacturers entered the Formula E series, the MotoGP team principals of major motorcycle companies such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia refrained from fielding MotoE teams from the outset. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta had to persuade the MotoGP customer teams to participate with gentle pressure and financial support.
HRC's top managers had already demanded an improved safety concept after the fire in Jerez in March 2019, when all the equipment, including 20 bikes, burned. So the MotoE paddock was located somewhat away from the GP paddock. The Japanese, in particular, didn't want to expose their team members to such dangers on a daily basis.
At the 2019 Sachsenring GP, a vintage fire engine with Spanish license plates and an ancient diesel engine was parked out of sight in a far corner of the MotoE paddock. After the Jerez fire, the MotoE promoters apparently didn't trust the local fire safety measures. So, an old fire engine truck with catastrophic emissions was sent across Europe. Where was the loudly proclaimed ecological consideration?
MotoE manager Nicolas Goubert admitted at the time: "Our charging stations are 'fast chargers,' they're nothing special. We originally wanted to use other charging systems for the start of the 2019 season. But that system wasn't ready. That's why we were using standard charging stations in Spielberg, which have been modified and adapted."
New, special charging stations were to be used at the third MotoE event 2019 in Misano. "Starting in Misano, we want to use green energy, as we announced from the beginning. Then we'll no longer use biodiesel generators," trumpeted Goubert, who wanted to power some of the charging stations in Misano with solar energy.
But instead of taking care of modern charging stations, the MotoE managers preferred to install dummy solar cells on the roofs of the charging stations. The ends of their "power cables" dangled one meter above the ground and weren't connected to any charging station or power outlet.
Constantly fearing another fire, six specialized firefighters constantly patrolled the MotoE tent from Friday to Sunday. One supervisor even stumbled around with a thermal imaging camera. And when the bikes rode silently from the pit lane to the paddock on electric power, they were accompanied by two E-scooter riders with whistles, scaring away pedestrians in the paddock so that no one would collide with the 18 silent vehicles.
The Energica standard bikes are provided to the teams free of charge. Right from the beginning Dorna agreed to pay the teams €40,000 per season per rider.
In the first few years, a few attractive riders were attracted, such as Sete Gibernau, Alex De Angelis, Bradley Smith, Nico Terol, Maria Herrera, Eric Granado, Niki Tuuli, Jesko Raffin, Jordi Torres, and Domi Aegerter.
"The most unusual thing in MotoE is the start," says former Moto2 European Champion Jesko Raffin. "In Moto2, you rev at 14,000 rpm on the starting line, creating a roar of noise. In MotoE, it's deadly silent. You can't hear your opponents even in the corners."
The 2025 MotoE dates
May 10: Le Mans
June 28: Assen (NL)
August 16: Spielberg
August 23: Balaton Park (H)
September 6: Barcelona (E)
September 13: Misano (I)
November 8: Est