MV stick with petrol for now
Firm says there’s no rush to electrify
The CEO of MV Agusta says electric vehicles are still years away for the brand as they want to focus on what they’re already good at. Speaking at the launch of a new flagship UK store in London, Timur Sardarov said smaller brands like MV have to choose their battles wisely. Instead, Sardarov wants to focus on increasing the factory’s ability to build more of their existing models. “Motorcycles don’t need more torque,” said Sardarov. “When we electrify it will be from the bottom up, starting with entry level machines not premium and performance models.
“When I took over we were making just 2000 bikes a year. This year it will be 6500, but still we have sold out of many models.”
Instead, the focus for now is still on internal combustion, with half an eye on smaller capacity machines. MV signed an agreement with Loncin to build bikes in the 350-500cc range, but that deal was cancelled during the pandemic. The plan is still to build something smaller but again, MV are in no great hurry. “These bikes will not be immediate,” added Sardarov. “We don’t actually have an engine platform at the moment and it’s not something we’re focusing on. Instead, we’ve been working on the 950 and the adventure range. “However, it’s a very interesting
‘I think we’re four to five years away’
area and lots of our competitors have been successful here. We need to keep a close eye on regulations and electrification, because this segment could electrify quickly, but I think we’re four to five years away from something like this.”