The MotoE series was introduced in 2019, initially operating under the designation MotoE World Cup rather than as a full World Championship. The 2019 season had originally been planned to begin in May, but was delayed after a fire at the Jerez test in March destroyed all competition bikes. A new six-race schedule was announced, running from July through November at four European venues.
The series used the Energica Ego Corsa motorcycle from its launch, a purpose-built electric racing machine produced by Italian manufacturer Energica Motor Company. The Energica bike featured a synchronous oil-cooled AC motor with permanent magnets producing a maximum continuous power output of 120 kW, equivalent to approximately 160 hp. The machine was capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds and reaching a top speed of 270 km/h. Battery fast-charging technology allowed the bike to recharge from zero to 85 percent in approximately 20 minutes using integrated DC fast charging.
The inaugural 2019 season crowned Italian rider Matteo Ferrari as the first MotoE champion, competing for Trentino Gresini MotoE. The second season in 2020 was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and ran over seven rounds at just three circuits, with Jordi Torres claiming the title in his first electric class season. Torres retained the championship in 2021, successfully defending his title over seven races at six locations. Dominique Aegerter won the fourth season in 2022, which expanded to twelve races across six venues.
From 2023, MotoE officially gained World Championship status, elevating the series from World Cup to full FIM championship. That year Mattia Casadei won the title. In 2024 Ducati replaced Energica as the official motorcycle supplier, bringing a new purpose-built electric racing machine to the series. Hector Garzo won the 2024 championship in a season that ran over sixteen races at eight locations. Alessandro Zaccone won the final MotoE championship in 2025.
On 11 September 2025, the FIM and Dorna Sports jointly announced that the MotoE class would be placed on hiatus after the 2025 season. The reasons given centered on the ongoing challenges of operating an all-electric class within the broader MotoGP event structure, including logistical demands related to battery weight, charging infrastructure, and limited track time available at shared event weekends.
The Energica Ego Corsa, used from 2019 to 2022, was built on a tubular steel trellis frame with a cast aluminium swingarm. The bike ran on Marchesini seven-spoke forged aluminium wheels and used Brembo brakes featuring 330mm steel discs with nickel-plated four-piston monoblock calipers. The low-voltage lithium-ion battery system was charged via the integrated DC fast charging system. From 2023, the Ducati V21L replaced the Energica, incorporating Ducati's own electric powertrain development within a carbon-fibre-intensive structure.
Races were conducted over approximately 35 km, equivalent to roughly eight laps of the circuits used, reflecting the energy limitations of the current battery technology relative to internal combustion machines.
The FIM MotoE World Championship demonstrated both the viability and the limitations of electric motorcycle competition at the world championship level. The series produced close, competitive racing and attracted capable professional riders, but the technical constraints of battery energy density and charging logistics prevented it from expanding to the same scale as the combustion-engine GP classes. Its hiatus after 2025 left open the possibility of future return as electric powertrain technology advances. As the only electric world championship in the history of the FIM Road Racing World Championship, MotoE marked a pioneering if unresolved experiment in the electrification of top-level motorsport.