As major motorcycle manufacturers around the world grapple with a new era of EVs, Ducati could be the next to roll out an electric motorcycle. That’s according to the company’s CEO who just confirmed Ducati’s commitment to developing a production electric motorcycle.

An electric Ducati is coming

While Ducati doesn’t currently have any production electric motorcycles to its name, the famed Italian motorcycle manufacturer is no stranger to EVs.

Ducati has produced multiple electric bicycles in partnership with other companies. The company also previously worked with the Milan Polytechnic School of Design to develop an electric Ducati concept, the Ducati Zero.

The company’s CEO Claudio Domenicali was even spotted riding an electric conversion Ducati Hypermotard that had been gifted a Zero FX powertrain.

Ducati Hypermotard with Zero FX conversion by Tony Kalniev

Now though, Domenicali is removing any doubt about Ducati’s intentions. Speaking at a Motostudent event in Spain, the Ducati CEO told the crowd:

“The future is electric, we’re not far from starting series production.”

This isn’t the first time that Ducati has expressed its intentions to develop an electric motorcycle. Back in 2017, the Managing Director of Ducati Western Europe Edouard Lotthé revealed that Ducati had plans for both an electric motorcycle and scooter. However, Lotthé stated that the earliest either might appear would be the 2021 model year.

Now Domenicali’s remarks represent the strongest confirmation yet that we’ll see an electric Ducati. And this time, the confirmation comes straight from the top.

Electric motorcycles: a quickly crowding market

While Ducati may actually become one of the first major motorcycle manufacturers to get their feet wet with EVs, they won’t be alone.

Another Italian company Energica has been producing electric sports bikes for years, with a number of high performance 150+ mph models.

Stateside, Harley Davidson’s electric LiveWire has just begun pre-sales, though the price was set at a staggering $29,799.

Other electric motorcycles already on the market offer even more affordable thrills. Zero’s new line of 2019 models recently received power, speed and range boosts. Plus, the California-based electric motorcycle manufacturer has a brand new model set to be unveiled next month.

And believe it or not, they aren’t the only electric motorcycle company in California unveiling a new electric motorcycle. Lightning Motorcycles just teased their upcoming Strike. The Strike promises impressive specs, including a 150 mph top speed, 150 mile range, 35 minute DC fast charging and starts at just $12,998.

Urban motorcycles have also been on the rise, offering even lower prices for bikes with reduced range and speed.

Super SOCO’s upcoming TC Max offers a 62 mph top speed and 68 miles of range for just $5,100. Fly Free offers three different models with speeds of between 40-50 mph and prices in the $4,500 range.

Perhaps the most affordable electric motorcycle right now is the CSC City Slicker, which tops out at around 45 mph but will only set you back $2,500.

So while Ducati won’t yet be competing against motorcycle incumbents such as Honda, Yamaha and others, they certainly won’t be entering a wide open market either. But with their brand legacy and famed design team, Ducati may be able to offer an electric motorcycle unlike anything we’ve seen so far.

What do you think of Ducati’s upcoming electric motorcycle plans? Let us know in the comments below.

Cover photo render credit: Bart Heijt and Fernando Pastre

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