They have been developing
track and road electric motorbikes for a decade, but the story of this
entrepreneurial gem from the Emilian motor valley - now also known as the
electric valley - has roots in the history of the country and in the ability to
achieve sustainable, constant and plural innovation. For FARE INSIEME,
Giampaolo Colletti interviewed Livia Cevolini, CEO of Energica Motor Company
of Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
They transformed the motor valley into an actual electric valley known all over the world
because it tries to write new pages of the future, necessarily sustainable and
with a limited impact on the environment and communities. It may seem like a
simple play on words, yet the electric
valley encloses the essence of doing business for Energica. “For us, Born
Electric is not just a slogan. We are Italian, so of course we love speed.
We have been developing electric motorbikes for over a decade, initially for
the racetrack and, as of 2014, for the road as well. Energica is pure
innovation, design and manufacturing within electric mobility. We are healthy
carriers of change and revolution in the world of sustainability. To confirm what we are every day, we need
strong pillars namely skills, planning, vision, passion and, most of all,
Italian manufacturing”, explains Livia Cevolini,
CEO of Energica Motor Company. Born and bred in Emilia,
the DNA of two “entrepreneurs-inventors” runs in her veins and her CV boasts
the experience of someone who started off visiting the factory and travelling
the world for motor races even before she could walk. Her grandfather Salvatore
was an inventor and her father Roberto was a pioneer
of mechanical technologies linked to 3D. Livia Cevolini started her career in
2003 right after her degree in Engineering Management at the University of
Parma, dealing with marketing at first and then taking the reins of Energica,
the Italian two-wheeled Tesla. We find ourselves in Soliera, a town of fifteen
thousand inhabitants north of Modena and now the global headquarters of
electric motorbikes. Energica was set up as a manufacturer of high-performance
electric motorbikes but, in 2021, it also launched the Energica Inside division
dedicated to the development of innovative e-mobility solutions. “We played a
leading role in sustainable transition right from the start and we are
currently a point of reference with both our vehicles and the supply of modular
components and power units”, explains Cevolini.
The history. To better understand
this company projected into the future, we need to take a step back in time.
Indeed, more than one. In post-war Italy, Livia’s grandfather, a passionate
inventor, left his mark by helping with the reconstruction. At the time,
recovery was hindered by the lack of building materials, especially bricks.
Therefore, her grandfather invented a machine to recover old broken bricks from
bombed buildings, giving them a new shape so that it could be used again.
Livia's father, Roberto Cevollini, followed in his footsteps and in 1970
founded Roberto Cevolini & C., focusing on the production of
state-of-the-art components for Formula 1 racing. In 1996, Roberto’s son
Franco, who graduated in Materials Technology, founded CRP: the new company
started creating new 3D printing processes and invented WindformTM, the
material that revolutionised the world of 3D printing. 2003 saw the merger that
created one of the leading high-end automotive engineering companies. An
innovative enterprise, yet well-rooted in the past. The past that after all
sparked everything off. “In 2009, our vision started veering more towards the
electric world. In less than six months, we built an electric racing motorbike
from scratch and became European champions and world runners-up in 2010-2011.
The Energica Project was born in 2012 and we haven't stopped since. We have
always worked to anticipate unique and innovative technological solutions: we
were the first unique manufacturers of an entirely-electric world
championship”, says Cevolini. In 2021, 70% of the company was acquired by the
electric and sustainable mobility giant Ideanomics. “Thanks to Ideanomics, we
acquired the ramp up needed for our growth: we extended the factory adding a
new experience facility, a floor plan to promote the expansion of our sales network
that currently exceeds one hundred points worldwide, add resources for new
projects and support brand awareness all over the world. Past and future keep
coming back, in a game of endless mirrors. Over the years, our passion and
expertise have remained unaltered, but they have also evolved with the
advancement of technology and market needs”, reports Cevolini. Research is a
crucial part of the company, as Energica would not exist without constant
research and an ongoing development of our already highly performing products.
“But human capital remains the base of everything. The average age of our
workforce is 34 and we have the right mix of younger and senior figures.
Energica is the right place to grow while having important responsibilities
from the very start. The territory is brimming with high-level skills when it
comes to high-quality precision mechanics, but also to a professional style and
approach that makes the difference: the motor
valley has given us a fertile ground and competences that has allowed
Energica to focus on the electric sector”, concludes Cevolini. Running fast,
looking to the future. That is the winning recipe for moving forward.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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