… at least on two wheels, fully electric and in Italy. Matteo Ferrari wins the last round of this year’s Moto E GP. The title, however, goes to a Swiss driver. Up close and personal: our trio from Schieder.
“The sound is very different from that of the internal combustion engines. It’s much quieter, but of course also anything but silent. For us as spectators, the conventional engines naturally sound more emotional, but this bright whirring also has its charm.” These are words from a qualified source, because Cedric Deppe is not only a developer of inlets, i.e. charging plugs, at Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, and thus a fan of electromobility almost by profession. The young man from East Westphalia is a motorcycle racer himself, competes with a Honda in the supersport category up to 600 cc, and knows the European race tracks of Holland, Belgium, France, and Croatia from a knee-slapping perspective.
Dolce Vita on two wheels
And sound is an essential element when motorcycles are judged. Motorcycles are sport and fun machines, at least outside of Asian metropolitan areas. And as anti-utility vehicles, they are judged emotionally and not soberly. Moto E, i.e. a separate racing class within the “normal” Grand Prix circuit, started years ago with precisely this starting position. The motorcycles start during the race weekend of the regular MotoGP. This ensures a high level of attention from fans and sponsors. And Energica is, so far, the only supplier of racing e-bikes that start here. All riders with the same hardware, which is first fine-tuned and adjusted by the respective racing teams to be a perfect fit for the pros.
The best fit this season has been for Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter, who finished the first of two rounds at Misano in second place to secure an early title as the 2022 Moto E GP champion. The Swiss rider is also the world champion in the Supersport Series, so he is among the top riders in two-wheel racing. The second race, which our e-mobility experts were able to observe, was then won by Italian Matteo Ferrari.
“The drivers themselves don’t care about the sound, because they can hardly hear it,” Cedric says from his own experience. The amateur racer is very impressed by the relaxed atmosphere in the paddock, especially at the Moto E racing stables: “We were even able to go directly into a pit. And that’s where I actually saw “my” inlets installed.” The technology freak is similarly enthusiastic when it comes to the other technology: “We were very close when, for example, the mobile charging stations came into use. Even on the grid, power is being charged into the machines right up to the last minute.”
To be sure, the stands visibly emptied when Moto E blew for the start. The classic racing series with their top international stars are still the crowd pullers. But the remaining fans and our Phoenix Contact trio were treated to top-class racing and an extremely close race. “It’s just as down to the wire as the internal combustion cars,” Cedric is pleased to say.
Around 4 p.m. the race day was officially over and we headed back towards the Mediterranean coast and the hotel. However, on four wheels and much more comfortable. Tomorrow, a visit to the Energica factory is on the agenda, and Cedric’s motorcycle suit will finally be put into active use. But before that, an eventful day ends with an excellent meal …
