Ducati’s U-Turn? Solid-State V21L Could Put Them Back in the Street Game
- Buck City Biker
- Sep 11
- 3 min read
Back in March we covered Ducati’s reluctance to dive head-first into consumer electric motorcycles. Claudio Domenicali, the company’s CEO, was blunt: “With the current technology, it’s a bit of a niche because you need to compromise on range, if you want to have a light motorcycle.” In other words: no road-ready e-superbike rolling out of Bologna anytime soon.
Fast-forward to IAA Mobility in Munich, and Ducati has wheeled out the V21L again. Only this time, it’s packing a solid-state battery—a serious shift from the lithium-ion setups we’ve seen everywhere else. Suddenly, Ducati’s “we're not ready” sounds more like “we were waiting for the right toys.”
The Tech They’re Showing Off
The demo bike isn’t a brand-new machine. It’s still the V21L prototype, the same platform they’ve been racing at the FIM MotoE. What’s different is the battery inside, developed in partnership with QuantumScape and PowerCo (both under the wider Volkswagen Group umbrella).
Here’s what Ducati and its partners are claiming about the new QSE-5 solid-state pack:
Energy density: ~844 Wh/L (that’s significantly higher than most current lithium-ion cells).
Fast charging: 10% to 80% in about 12 minutes.
Safety: solid-state design reduces the risk of thermal runaway compared to liquid-electrolyte packs.
Durability: better cycle life under high loads and repeated fast charging.
Performance: continuous high discharge rates without overheating penalties.
On paper, this is exactly the kind of breakthrough that could address Ducati’s, and everyone's, core issue—weight versus range. More energy in the same space, or the same energy in something lighter and tighter, offering a way forward that could finally square the circle for a performance-oriented road bike.
Why This Matters
Ducati’s original stance wasn’t about a lack of engineering talent; it was about physics. No rider's signing up for a 270-kg sofa on wheels with a 140-km range, no matter how fast it is for the first five laps. The MotoE bike has been an important testbed, but it wasn’t a template for a road-going product.
Solid-state batteries might change that math. Faster charging, more energy per litre, safer chemistry—it’s the exact play Ducati need if they want to make something with Panigale-like performance and a realistic range figure.
Don’t Get Carried Away, Well, Maybe Just a Bit
Before anyone sells their Panigale and starts a waiting list, a few things to remember: The Munich reveal doesn’t mean you’ll be test-riding a solid-state Ducati at your local dealer next summer. Moving from a track showpiece to a production-ready, road-legal motorcycle you can actually plate and ride, is a long road.
Challenges still on the table:
Cost: Solid-state cells aren’t cheap, especially early in production.
Supply: QuantumScape and PowerCo are scaling, but getting enough cells for thousands of bikes is another matter.
Durability in the wild: Racing is hard, but it’s predictable. Road use throws in heat cycles, potholes, dodgy charging networks, and years of abuse.
Real range numbers: Ducati hasn’t published a target yet. High Wh/L density looks great in a press release, but until we know the total kWh and real-world consumption, range is a question mark.
However, take a closer look at the photos—or just look at them normally—and you’ll see that charging cable poking out like it’s ready for a public socket. Subtle or not, it screams: ‘We’re thinking street, not just track.'
The Takeaway
So, is Ducati back in the game? Maybe. The Munich demo doesn’t guarantee it, but this tech might finally hand them the keys to get there, even after publicly stepping back in March.
If—and it’s still a big if—the solid-state pack performs, then we could see a real Ducati e-superbike that isn’t just a compromise machine. Until then, it’s one more round in the long-running duel between promise and production.
For now, the message is clear: Ducati hasn’t left the arena. They’re sharpening their knives in the paddock, and the next move could be onto the street.
Ride safe, folks.
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