In view of what is happening in the automobile industry, this position taken by the big boss of a KTM group, Stefan Pierer, who has an impact on the motorcycle market in Europe, has the effect of an electric shock. Precisely, it is about electric propulsion and the Austrian, who is also president of ACEM, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, clearly claims a counter-current to this devotion to propulsion with batteries, which is clearly defined as nonsense. A conviction that this sentence from the man from Mattighofen illustrates: “ I can say that, unlike the automotive industry, we have a clear overall vision of where we are heading ". Interesting…
Stefan pierer puts its feet in the dish by criticizing this tendency to see the next world powered by batteries alone. And it takes a certain courage to swim against the tide like this. The latest political decisions on this theme are in fact so many ukases coated in a feeling of guilt imposed on the citizen audience who can only bow their heads without saying a word. The heat engine must die for the good of a planet to which we are not offering a solution but another problem. No matter, decisions are made, as in the recent case ofAudi, the boss of Ducati, which announced that it no longer wanted to produce combustion engines from 2033.
For its part, Pierre, like the rest of the motorcycle world, has an unprejudiced view of the situation. He does not reject electricity. It integrates it into a global plan certainly more in line with the real concern for an environment to be preserved: “ we assume that with electrical appliances of 48 volts up to class A1, i.e. 11 kilowatts or 15 hp, many will go electric over the next ten years, especially in Europe ", Pierer said in an interview on speedweek.
He specifies : " this applies to scooters, mopeds and mopeds. Tout the two-stroke engine will go. Everything relating to motorized two-wheelers more than 48 volts goes in the direction of e-fuels. There are very clear development plans between the manufacturers ». Stefan pierer is also the president of the sports motorcycle manufacturers' association MSMA, which is responsible for the technical regulations for the MotoGP and Superbike world championships. And this experience gives him this argument which shows the limits of electric propulsion: “ for a MotoGP that covers a race distance on 20 liters of fuel today you would need a 500 kg battery to achieve comparable performance and autonomy and to create the same energy density ».
Stefan Pierer: “paddock batteries are charged with diesel generators"
Which brings him to this… “ How can we consider something so stupid? Electromobility is nonsense pushed by politicians without political education. An absurdity ". And don't talk to him about MotoE... " Paddock batteries are charged with diesel generators, CO2 emissions are released into the atmosphere, making you sick ". The Austrian concludes: “ synthetic fuel is the solution, not electric propulsion. Because this fuel is CO2-free. You also have to look at how many valuable raw materials are needed to make an electric car compared to a conventional car. ". But who still wants to watch among our leaders?
It will be recalled that, at the end of November, Dorna and END presented a precise timetable: from 2024, at least 40 percent of the fuel in all classes of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship will be non-fossil fuels. And from 2027, the fuel should even be made from 100% non-fossil raw materials.
