Although Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati previously denied claims that it would enter the small bike segment – something its competitor BMW Motorrad has done with the G310 R and G310 GS – it appears that a Ducati scooter as well as an electric motorcycle is on the cards. This ties in with its parent company’s “Roadmap E”, an ambitious plan that sees all vehicles produced under the Volkswagen group to be fully electric.
Speaking to Edouard Lotthe, managing director of Ducati Western Europe, French website moto-station.com reported there are plans for both a Ducati scooter and an e-bike, but it is unlikely that such machines will come to market before 2021. However, Lotthe said that Ducati’s present priority is to concentrate on the upcoming Euro 5 emissions standard which comes into force in 2020.
Additionally, a 30,000 square meter facility will be established in Bologna, Italy, in early 2018, to manage spare parts inventory for both Ducati and Lamborghini, along with the VW group’s other Italian interests. “We benefit directly from the partnerships signed between the German manufacturers and some suppliers like Bosch. And then, we were able to access the tools already present in the group, at the level of finance or insurance for example,” said Lotthe.
Commenting on the quarter-litre segment, a market which is booming in Asia, especially in regions such as Indonesia, India and Thailand, Lotthe emphasised that Ducati has no plans to build a 300 cc motorcycle, unlike BMW Motorrad. Previously, Ducati project manager Frederico Sabbioni said such a small motorcycle would “be too small… and damaging to the brand’s prestige.”
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I wonder if the previous project manager is still with Ducati. His statement is akin to how BMW once said they would never go fwd.
But electric?… hmm.
Also, damn you Mohan. (You know what I mean.)