A single electric motorcycle has been responsible for the majority of hype around a growing wave of budget e-motos. The SONDORS Metacycle, which has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs during a lengthy development process, is now touting deliveries currently in progress to 27 states in the US.
The SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle debuted for a mere $5,000, offering highway capable speeds and single-charge ranges of between 45-80 miles depending on how long riders spent at those highway speeds.
As the first major low-cost electric motorcycle in the US, it racked up a pile of pre-orders but suffered from manufacturing delays and sometimes erratic messaging. Initially promising deliveries in under a year, it took closer to 20 months before Metacycles began trickling out of distribution centers.
But the SONDORS ship seems to be righting ahead of an anticipated IPO, with deliveries picking up and the company making obvious efforts to increase transparency over the last few months.
SONDORS has been regularly posting updates to its website to keep customers appraised of delivery. The latest update shows that SONDORS has now delivered Metacycles to 12 states and has Metacycles in the process of being delivered in 15 more states.
As the company shared:
We are very excited to share the news that MetaCycle has now been delivered in 12 states over the last weeks. Current states include Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas and of course, California.
Additionally, MetaCycle deliveries are currently en route to Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The update also reveals that Metacycles will start being delivered with different tire and wheel options.
The company explained that the original tires that were intended to be included on the Metacycle are no longer in production.
During the development process, Michelin stopped manufacturing the tires that were featured on the prototype MetaCycle.
As such, MetaCycle is shipping with a few different wheel and tire combinations which all meet the performance, styling characteristics and US DOT regulations.
The majority of the MetaCycles will include the CST CM-NK 01 tires. Additionally, some customers will receive internal spokes, while others will receive external spoked wheels.
The rim differences don’t come with an explanation, but that one almost certainly comes down to another sourcing issue. Either the rim supplier that SONDORS intended to use couldn’t provide sufficient quantity, or the company has since found a more favorable option, either in terms of quality or price.
I had the chance to test ride the SONDORS Metacycle earlier this fall and had a great experience on the bike. You can read about my experience or check out the video below.
While some of the changes came as a surprise (the lack of a quick release battery was certainly a let down), the motorcycle itself performed great and offered both a fun and exciting ride.
With SONDORS’ background in electric bicycle production, the Metacycle feels like the perfect vehicle for e-bike riders who want to upgrade to something more powerful than an electric bicycle.
The controls are easy to use, the bike is light enough to not intimidate riders who are new to motorcycles, and the design is actually surprisingly comfortable.
As much as I’ve enjoyed the massive and high-power electric motorcycles I’ve ridden, I wouldn’t recommend them to a first time motorcycle rider. But I’d absolutely recommend a Metacycle to someone who has never ridden a motorcycle before, as it eases the transition from powerful electric bicycle to light electric motorcycle.
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An Exxon gas station is seen in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Oct. 6, 2023.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
Exxon Mobil beat third-quarter earnings expectations, as the oil major reached its highest liquids production level in more than four decades.
Here is what Exxon reported for the third quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $1.92 adjusted, vs. $1.88 per share expected.
Revenues: $90 billion, vs. $93.94 billion expected
The oil major booked net income of $8.61 billion in the quarter, or $1.92 per share, down about 5% compared to $9.1 billion, or $2.25 per share, in the year-ago period. Exxon’s profits have declined as refining margins and natural gas prices have pulled back from from historically high levels in 2023.
The company returned $9.8 billion to shareholders in the quarter and increased its fourth-quarter dividend to $0.99 per share.
Exxon said it has reached its high production level in more than 40 years at 3.2 million barrels per day.
The oil major’s stock rose about 1% in pre-market trading. Exxon shares have gained 16.8% this year.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Chevron beat third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, returning a record amount of cash to shareholders.
Shares were up 2.6% in the premarket following the report’s release.
The oil major’s quarterly profit, however, declined substantially compared to the year-ago period due to lower margins on refined product sales, lower prices and the absence of favorable tax times.
Chevron is aiming to streamline its portfolio, with asset sales in Canada, Congo and Alaska expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024. The company is also target $2 billion to $3 billion in cost reductions from 2024 through the end of 2026.
Here is what Chevron reported for the third quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $2.51 adjusted, vs. $2.43 expected
Revenue: $50.67 billion, vs. $48.99 billion expected
Chevron’s net income came in at $4.49 billion, or $2.48 per share, down 31% from $6.53 billion, or $3.48 per share, in the third quarter of 2023. When adjusted for foreign currency impacts, the company reported earnings of $2.51 per share, solidly topping Wall Street’s expectations for the quarter.
Chevron booked revenues of $50.67 billion, also beating Street expectations but declining 6% from the $54.1 billion reported in the third quarter last year.
The oil major returned a record $7.7 billion to shareholders in the quarter, including $4.7 billion in share buybacks and $2.9 billion in dividends.
Chevron produced 3.36 million oil-equivalent barrels per day in the quarter, a 7% increase over the third quarter of 2023, driven by record output in the Permian Basin.
Chevron’s stock is largely flat for the year, underperforming the S&P 500 energy sector which has gained more than 6%. Shares have struggled to gain ground as uncertainty looms over the company’s pending $53 billion acquisition of Hess.
The Federal Trade Commission has cleared the deal, though it prohibited John Hess from joining Chevron’s board.
Chevron remains locked in a dispute with Exxon Mobil, which is claiming a right of first refusal over Hess Corp.’s lucrative oil assets in Guyana. If an arbitration court rules in Exxon’s favor, Chevron’s acquisition of Hess would fail to close.
ZEEKR EV cars are displayed at the 45th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok, Thailand, March 25, 2024.
Chalinee Thirasupa | Reuters
Chinese electric carmaker Zeekr said Thursday its deliveries surged by 92% in October from a year ago, helping the company clock its best month at 25,049 vehicles.
The company has reportedlysaid that it expects to deliver 230,000 cars in 2024. With only two months left in the calendar year, that means Zeekr needs to deliver more than 31,000 cars in November and December each.
The Geely-backed automaker began deliveries of its new five-seat SUV Zeekr Mix on Oct. 23.
Xpeng also beat its personal best for a second straight month, delivering 23,917 vehicles in October. The deliveries included the company’s mass-market car, Mona M03, accounting for over 10,000 units.
Xpeng launched Mona M03 in late August with prices starting at $16,812.
Li Auto, whose cars mostly come with a fuel tank to extend the battery’s driving range, delivered 51,443 cars, slightly lower than its record month in September.
BYD and Aito had not yet released their October deliveries as of Friday afternoon.
Earlier in the week, Chinese smartphone and home appliance company Xiaomi said it delivered more than 20,000 electric vehicles in October.
The company only launched its first car — the SU7 — in late March.
Xiaomi aims to deliver 100,000 electric cars by the end of November. The company has delivered more than 75,000 cars as of October.