Electric MotoGP race bikes might well not come to full fruition if KTM boss Stefan Pierer had his way
Some might say that the time when MotoGP will be full of electric race bikes is nearer than what predictions might lead people to believe. But, CEO of Pierer Mobility-AG, Stefan Pierer would beg to differ.
Pierer Mobility-AG is the parent company of motorcycle brands KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS and its chief has recently gone on record and stated that “electro-mobility is nonsense pushed by scientifically uneducated politicians. A laid-up nonsense.”
The Styrian does not say this without evidence either. KTM fields as many as 4 race bikes in MotoGP and has won races and been on the podium in the recent past.
According to Pierer, the current MotoGP race bike (weighing 157 kg dry) uses an average of 20 litres to do the race distance (up to 130 km). But to achieve comparable performance, 1 would need an electric bike with a 500 kg battery pack!
“You have to think of something that stupid first. Today we have 100,000 spectators at the MotoGP events who come because of the (internal) combustion engines,” he claimed.
In addition, Pierer also commented on MotoE races which use electric race bikes over a comparatively smaller duration. He said the “batteries in the paddock are charged with diesel generators, which vaporize CO2 emissions into the atmosphere”, questioning their eco-friendliness.
Thus the chief of KTM’s parent company says MotoGP will use e-fuel for the foreseeable future. He wants to see synthetic fuel used first in Moto3 and Moto2, before adopting the same for the premier class.
Organiser of MotoGP, Dorna, had said in November 2021 that from 2024, at least 40 percent of the fuel in all classes of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship will be of non-fossil origin. From 2027, the fuel used should come completely from non-fossil raw materials.
By saying that there is no replacement for combustion engines in grand prix racing till 2035, the Styrian effectively ruled out the entry of electric race bikes in MotoGP anytime soon.
Pierer claimed synthetic fuel, not electric propulsion, is the way to go as it will be free of CO2 emissions. “You also have to look at how many valuable raw materials are needed to manufacture an electric car compared to a conventional car,” he stated.