The first thing that comes to mind when I think of ‘Italian’ and ‘electric’ is an old episode of Top Gear when the trio tested budget supercars and how James May’s Lamborghini Urraco kept having electricity related issues. Of course, that was a very old car bought cheaply, but there are ownership stories of modern Lambos with similar problems even today. But let’s not play into automotive stereotypes and take a fresh look at the Italian electric sports bike – Energica EGO.
At first glance, I’d say the design and styling are very much like that of a Ducati or an MV Agusta but in that video with Nico Rosberg, it was very disorienting to not hear the high-pitched revving of an engine from it. The oil-cooled AC electric motor with permanent magnets that has 143bhp and 200Nm of instantaneous torque. A top speed of 240kph and a 0-100kph time of 3 seconds, quietly, are the claimed performance figures for the EGO.
The 11.7kWh lithium polymer battery, the inverter, charger and ABS are all monitored and managed by the Vehicle Control Unit, the brain of the bike. No gearbox or clutch for the electric powertrain, all is regulated by the ride-by-wire system to control the acceleration and deceleration based on the regenerative torque or engine braking. It does have a coasting feature though thanks to a “neutral” position between acceleration and regeneration. Range on a full charge depends on how you ride but Energica Motor from Modena say that the EGO should be able to charge the battery from empty to full in about 3.5 hours from a regular charger. If you have access to a fast charging point, it’ll be able to restore 80% energy in about 30 minutes time. The bike also has four riding modes for controlling power delivery and traction – Urban, Eco, Rain and Sport.
The steel tubular Trellis frame with the cast aluminium swingarm is covered in sporty fairings to highlight the purpose of this electric sports bike. There is even an electric sports bike racing series in the works which will feature a model based on this bike, the EGO Corsa. The EGO meanwhile has Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rubber with Brembo brakes – 330mm double floating discs with a 4-piston radial calliper at the front, and 240mm single disc with a 2-piston calliper. The ABS system is from Bosche while the onboard VCU uses eABS to monitor the torque output in slippery conditions. The stock suspension setup uses Marzocchi front forks and Bitubo rear shock absorber, both adjustable, but there is an option to get it with Ohlins for both.
It’s modern, it’s electric and it’s connected. A 4.3″ TFT display for displaying rider-relevant information on the dashboard, Bluetooth connectivity, internal GPS receiver and an internal memory for data logging. It even has a parking assist system that allows the motor to help a rider push the bike – forwards and backwards both.
In case you’re wondering about the background of Energica Motor, it is a part of the CRP Group that specialises in high precision CNC machining and advanced 3D printing for automotive purposes. Not quite sure what that all means but they do have experience in working with F1 and Nico Rosberg has one, both plenty reasons for at least trying it out.
The EGO is their top-model and a fully-specced one can cost around EUR 30,000 before tax. If you want something less quick you can check out the siblings based on the same technology but with less power. The Eva is what is known as a ‘streetfighter’ in motorcycling circles and has a less aggressive riding position with less fairing, 107bhp, 180Nm and 200km of range in ECO mode. An aesthetic variant is also offered which is called the Eva EsseEsse9 that takes a more retro approach to the exterior styling for the modern insides.
What do you make of the Energica EGO? Would you prefer one of these over the Emflux One? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for plenty more to come.
The Auto Loons 