The new all-electric MotoE electric motorcycle championship had all of its racing bikes destroyed in an overnight fire at Jerez on March 14, 2019. The 18 Energica Ego Corsa electric bikes were at the MotoE paddock and were at the track for a three-day pre-testing. All the bikes had taken to the track on the opening day on Wednesday, while the incident reportedly happened at 12.15 am (local time) in the early hours of Thursday. According to reports, the fire completely engulfed the paddock structure destroying all the bikes, and has put the series in jeopardy for 2019.
A statement from MotoE promoters Dorna read, "A fire in the newly-built E-paddock has destroyed the majority of material for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. 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.”
All 18 of the Energica Ego Corsa electric bikes were destroyed in the fire
Seen as a step towards the future of racing, the MotoE World Cup was launched last year as a support series to MotoGP and was scheduled for a season debut later in the year. The series would see shorter races of about 10 laps on grand prix Sundays. The inaugural MotoE World Cup has a 12-team entry list, with all current MotoGP satellite teams fielding Energica Ego machinery and includes riders like former KTM rider Bradley Smith and multiple race winner Sete Gibernau, among other Moto2 and Moto3 riders.
The governing body responsible for MotoE, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme [FIM], also issued a statement via President, Jorge Viegas, "It is a terrible blow but I am sure that all those working for this exciting new venture will find the strength and motivation to overcome this unfortunate occurrence and make the Championship a success. We look forward to putting this behind us and are confident in the future."
The new calendar dates for the MotoE series will be announced soon
In a follow up to the incident, the promoters issued another statement saying, "Dorna Sports and all of our partners in this new venture are committed to getting the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup back on track as soon as possible, with work already underway to begin rebuilding and replacing materials and motorcycles lost in the fire."
MotoE though will race in 2019 and a revised calendar will be announced in due course. However, it can be confirmed that the electric series will not race at the Circuito de Jerez as part of the Gran Premio Red Bull de Espana this season.
