Ducati experimenting with synthetic fuels before getting in bed with electric

DUCATI announced a while ago that they are looking at electrifying their motorcycle range, whilst also keenly searching for their future customer base of younger riders. It has recently emerged that electric propulsion may not be the direction they want to head in, for now. 

CEO Francesco Milicia spoke with MCN to discuss plans for the future of the Italian brand, and it seems that for now, electric power isn’t their priority.

Milicia says: "We are part of a group that’s going quickly towards electrification and it’s a good opportunity for Ducati.

"Will we produce an electric Ducati soon? No. We think that for the kind of machine we produce now, an electric motorcycle cannot guarantee the pleasure, the range, the weight etc that Ducati riders expect.

"We are also looking carefully at other solutions for zero or minimal emissions, such as synthetic fuel. Other brands in our group such as Porsche are looking at it and it’s something we are looking at in the medium term."

Hybrid motorcycles, motorcycles running off hydrogen, CO2 captured in the air… it’s all part of an industry-wide race to find the new fuel source that is capable of replacing petrol - before the next few Euro emissions regulations cost manufacturers too much to comply with. 

Ducati has of course looked at electric power in the past, but they may have read the comments on Visordown social media posts about electric not cutting the mustard....

Ducati in search for alternative fuel types - is there a synthetic fuel out there?

But, it seems, Ducati has recognised that electric may not be the power source that everyone is eager to get on, particularly when it comes to holding up a brand image that is so heavily ingrained in the performance, style and feel that any alternative fuel will struggle to compete with.

Milicia continues: ”In Italy the market has changed a little bit as we have a lot of competition on price but we don’t want to go into competition with cheap manufacturers. We have to protect our brand. We have a brand that’s been alive almost 100 years and we have to respect that.

"But attracting younger customers is important and, as for a product for young customers, this is something we are working on. Even with smaller displacements for young people however, we can still build in the style, sophistication and performance of a Ducati.”

We can only hope that a reluctance to turn to electric doesn’t end up switching off the lights at Ducati HQ for good.

Do you think electric power is going to be the way forward, with no real competing alternatives? Or is there a fuel source that Ducati may stumble upon in their search for power? Let us know on social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Maybe even YouTube if you fancy!