Move electric rating: three stars out of five
What does it cost? £1699
What is it?The Ducati MG-20 is the first foray into folding electric bicycles from the historic motorcycle brand, made in conjunction with Italian e-mobility specialists Platum. It's priced at £1699, putting it in the same market as bikes such as the MiRider One and the Axon Rides Pro Lite, both of which we've reviewed.
Interestingly, Ducati has gone for a magnesium frame over aluminium or steel, and the design is certainly eye-catching.
Ducati says this about the design: "The sporting character of Ducati is underlined by its distinctive design, characterized by a fluid and aerodynamic profile, and by the sharp lines of the six-spoke rims, both made with a die-casting technique." I haven't put the bike in a wind tunnel so can't comment on the aerodynamic ability of the bike but the bright red colourway, intriguing frame design and six-spoke wheels are assuredly striking.
What is it like? I think it’s important to remember that this is the first folding electric bike that Ducati has made, so naturally, there will be some kinks for them to work out as they develop their range further. That being said, the ride quality is decent and it can handle gradients with relative ease. 
Let’s start with the motor. It’s a 250W rear hub motor and the assist levels are controlled via a display on the handlebars. There are three assist levels to choose from, (12-18-25 km/h), and I found that level three was the one I used most. Frustratingly, unless I was riding up a hill the motor seemed to surge to reach 25kph and struggle to hold the speed. Levels one and two were fine, although perhaps a little underpowered for my local terrain.
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Interestingly, Ducati suggests in the manual that the bike shouldn’t be used on a gradient higher than 10%, so that’s worth bearing in mind if you live in a hilly area. Ducati has also provided an acceptable temperature range for use, between 0°C and 40°C, which means winter will be tricky.
Moving onto the battery, (a Samsung 36V 10.5Ah 378Wh) this is hidden in the frame but easily removed by folding the bike and unlocking the release with a key. The estimated range is around 50km, but I rode 40km (mostly in level 3) and the battery level still hovered around 40%. Essentially the display is about as reliable as an early 1990s car fuel level sender. One moment it reads 100% then it shoots down to 70% and back up, so take the battery readings with a pinch of salt and just bear in mind how far you’ve ridden on your trip so you don’t get caught out – although credit to Ducati, I suspect you could get more than 50km out of one battery charge.
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