Ducati is going electric. The 93-year-old Italian motorcycle maker is displaying its new lineup of electric bikes at the New York International Motorcycle Show this month.
"We're looking at the electric bicycle as something to complement the lifestyle of existing Ducati owners," Ducati CEO of North America Jason Chinnock told Cheddar. "But we also do have a Scrambler one that's more urban oriented, so that would allow somebody that maybe's just a fan of the brand to come in and they can buy the bicycle as well."
Ducati’s e-bikes have been selling overseas since last year, but 2020 will marks its first time selling the products stateside. The E-Scrambler model will start at around $4,000 and other models will go up to about $7,000.
2020 is setting up to be a big year for the electric vehicle industry, as mainstream automakers develop new versions of iconic brands — but without the combustible engines. Ford unveiled its electric crossover, the Mach-E, and is developing dozens of other EV's. Tesla is convinced people will buy an electric pickup truck with its affordable Cybertruck. And motorcycle brands like Ducati and Harley-Davidson are working to get in on the action.
Ducati, which is owned by Lamborghini, is building several e-bike models of all kinds to cut into the growing market and appeal to a variety of interests. The E-Scrambler is for trekking, while the MIG-S and MIG-RR are for mountain biking.
While acknowledging the younger generation hasn’t been buying motorcycles at the same rate as previous generations, Chinnock says its new, sleek e-bike models may help make inroads with younger consumers, or those who have been hesitant to try motorized bikes. "It's better to have something that doesn't necessarily look like you need to be a professional to ride," he said.
According to Allied Market Research, the global electric biking industry topped $16 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $23 billion in 2025.
Not only is Ducati offering new e-bike offerings, but it has also re-thought payment options. Chinnock is confident the monthly lease plan, which first rolled out last year, will attract more of those interested in a bike or motorcycle. "The idea is that you can have a Ducati for basically $99 per month for 2 or 3 years, and then turn it in to get something else. That makes it very appealing for someone who doesn't want to make a commitment."
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
You'll just have to wait for interest rates (and prices) to go down. Plus, this deal's a steel, the big carmaker wedding is off, and bribery is back, baby!
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
William Falcon, CEO and Founder of Lightning AI, discusses the ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and how everyday people can use AI in their lives.
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum “will not go unanswered,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday, adding that they will trigger toug
