Will Ducati Actually End Up With A ‘For Sale’ Sign This Time?

Ducati followers might need to mark their calendars for November, 2020 for one particular cause. That’s the month that mother or father firm Volkswagen’s administration board and administrators will meet to debate the corporate’s general technique—together with re-evaluation of its Ducati, Lamborghini, and Bugatti possession.

We all know, we all know—rumors about VW promoting off Ducati appear to circulate roughly yearly or so, nearly like clockwork. In actuality, it’s solely been eight years for the reason that Audi Group purchased everybody’s favourite Borgo Panigale-based OEM, however the persistence of these rumors nearly makes it really feel prefer it’s been considerably longer. At one level in 2018, KTM was even said to be interested in buying its Italian rival.

None of that got here to fruition up to now—however as is commonly the case, occasions are very completely different in 2020. Whether or not they’re completely different sufficient to lead to one among these rumors lastly coming true eventually, we definitely can’t say at this level. What we do know is that on the finish of September, 2020, some top-level VW executives instructed Reuters that because the VW group shifts its sights towards mass manufacturing of electrical vehicles, it’s reconsidering the fates of its high-performance trio of piston-powered automobile manufacturers.

The one present Ducati electrical bike available on the market.

Herbert Diess, who’s VW’s present CEO, didn’t name out any model particularly. Nonetheless, he did say that “in view of the market disruption, we should focus and ask ourselves what the transformation means for the person components of the group.” Not as clear as we’d like, however clear sufficient that such an inference doesn’t appear fully unreasonable.

“Manufacturers should be measured towards new necessities. By electrification, by attain, by digitalization and connectivity of the automobile. There may be new room for maneuver and each model should discover its new place,” Diess continued.

Ducati has been arduous at work on enhanced connectivity, together with its laser radar system, since not less than 2018. In January, 2019, Claudio Domenicali confirmed that Ducati had certainly begun work on an electric motorcycle—however didn’t give any additional info on the challenge at the moment. Clearly, there are a complete bunch of inside developments that most of the people gained’t find out about but, as all the time occurs in any firm.

The query is, which manner will the present state of future-proofing developments at Ducati tip the scales in VW’s eyes? Will the Group need to cling on to its sole foothold within the bike market, primarily based on upcoming electrical developments? Or will the Group resolve to divest itself of all issues two-wheeled and stick completely with vehicles and vehicles, as a substitute? As quickly as we all know something extra, we will certainly share it right here.

Sources: Reuters, Inside EVs, InSella