MotoGP organiser launches Moto E electric bike race series

The world’s first fully-electric motorcycle race series is finally here. Called the FIM MotoE World Cup, it will feature 18 zero-emission e-bikes that will battle it out on tracks around Europe in 2019.

FIM Moto E World Cup will be a support class to MotoGP – the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. It will have five events with 10 laps each held in five European circuits all picked from the MotoGP calendar. Unfortunately, these tracks are yet to be named.

A total of 18 bikes will be given to 11 privateer teams from MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3. As for who will ride each, contracted teams get to choose riders with “sufficient experience” in two-wheel racing to produce a high-level of competition from the get-go.

Here’s where things get interesting. The bike, which is built by Energica, has a powerful oil cooled permanent AC motor that produces 147 hp and 200 Nm of torque. It will have a maximum speed of up to 250 km/h and a 0 to 100 km/h time of three seconds flat.

Comparing it with the current Moto3 bike, the performance figures of the Moto E machine are close. Although we have to consider that the Moto3 bike is super lightweight and only has 50 hp and 28 Nm of torque.

To produce enough juice to last the entire race, the Moto E bike can store 5 to 50 kWh in its High Voltage Lithium Ion batteries. What’s amazing is that it can fully charge in just 30 minutes using either direct or alternate current.

Watch the MotoE bike in action in the video below.