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Fire Destroys All MotoE Electric Motorcycles, First Race Cancelled

For about half a decade, Formula 1 has an electric car equivalent called Formula E. As of May 2019, MotoGP was supposed to have its own electric spinoff, the MotoE. Until a fire begged to differ.
Fire at Jerez turns MotoE bikes to ashes 1 photo
Photo: MCN Sport
The first race of the new series was supposed to take place in Jerez, Spain, on May 5th, and then move one across Europe for an extra five races. Those plans turned to ashes on Wednesday, after a fire broke in the MotoE paddock at Jerez, where the bikes were stored for pre-season testing.

There is no clue yet as to what caused the fire, but fortunately the blaze didn’t hurt anyone.

“A fire in the newly-built E-paddock has destroyed the majority of material for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup,” a statement from the organizers of the event reads.

“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Fortunately, there have been no injuries. An update will follow in the coming hours regarding the exact causes of the fire and any subsequent changes to the calendar.”
MotoGP says the results of the investigation into the fire will be published as soon as it is concluded.


As it seems, despite 18 electric bikes turning to ash, MotoGP and Energica - the manufacturers of the motorcycles - plan to go ahead with the series, albeit the May race in Jerez has been canceled.

The second race was originally scheduled for May 19th at Le Mans, but a revised calendar will be announced shortly.

The motorcycles to be used in MotoE are called Ego Corsa and will be exclusively supplied for the series by the Italian company. The bikes use a high-voltage lithium-ion battery of around 20 kWh and an oil-cooled electric motor that develops 147 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque.

The MotoE inaugural series comprises 18 riders that will race against one another at speeds of up to 270 kph (168 mph).
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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