Empery Digital Inc.
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Mar 31, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Mar 31, 2025
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Item 1. Business
Overview
We are an all-electric, off-road powersports vehicle company selling Volcon electric two-wheeled E-Bikes and motorcycles, utility terrain vehicles, or UTVs, also known as side-by-sides, and golf carts, along with a line of upgrades and accessories. In January 2025, we also entered into a distribution agreement with a golf cart manufacturer, Super Sonic Company Ltd. (“Super Sonic”) located in Vietnam, and a subsidiary of Odes Industry, to supply golf carts to other companies in the United States who sell golf carts.
Our Industry
Powersports
The powersports industry is made up of on-road and off-road motorcycles, scooters, ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), UTVs, PWC (personal watercraft) and snowmobiles. Until recently, we focused on off-road motorcycles and UTVs. We are currently evaluating an on-road/off-road (dual sport) motorcycle offering. During 2024 we introduced two off-road UTVs, the VLCN MN1 Tradesman for light utility use and the VLCN HF1a higher performance UTV.
Outdoor recreation is a major driver of the American economy. In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, or the BEA, found that outdoor recreation drives $640 billion of the current-dollar gross domestic product for the U.S, compared to $563 billion in 2022. The BEA noted that motorcycles and ATVs make up $11.7 billion of the 2023 total.
According to the PowerSports Business 2024 Market Data Book:
| · | In the U.S., UTV sales were just under 569,000 units in 2023, an increase of approximately 3.5% from 2022, according to Power Products Marketing (“PPM”). |
| · | New motorcycle sales in 2023, meanwhile, were approximately 520,000 units, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (“MIC”), compared to 733,537 in 2022. MIC estimates the total motorcycle population in the U.S. is 11.6 million units with 1.7 million being off-highway units and 727,000 being dual sport units. |
| · | According to dealership feedback, turnover of new unit inventory in 2023 at dealerships was 2.6 turns (compared to 4.6 turns in 2022) average. Similarly, new unit gross margin percentage at the dealership level was 14.9% on average during 2023 (compared to 17.1% in 2022). |
| · | Accessory sales for UTVs on average range from $635 to $652 worth of accessories at the time of purchase for work or multi purpose UTVs, respectively. |
While inflationary pressures, economic uncertainty and higher interest rates may have impacted demand, we believe the culture of escape and outdoor activities will continue to drive off-road powersports recreation. We believe there are very few all-electric off-road powersports companies, and traditional powersports companies have only recently started making electric products, so significant data on off-road electric vehicles does not exist yet.
Golf Carts
The golf cart industry has grown from golf carts used on golf courses to golf carts used for leisure and transportation in neighborhoods and communities. According to Persistence Market Research, the U.S. market value is over $800 million and is expected to grow at a volume CAGR 4.3% through 2032. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 234,000 golf carts valued at $700 million, were imported from China to the U.S. in 2024 up from 114,000 units valued at $450 million in 2023.
Recently, the American Personal Transportation Vehicle Manufacturer Coalition filed a petition against certain low-speed personal transportation vehicles imported from China. The petition asserted that manufacturers who received foreign government subsidies were able to import vehicles from China at a lower cost than manufacturing in their home countries. This created unfair trade practices. The Department of Commerce reviewed Chinese manufacturers who sold such vehicles and determined that they were unfairly competing due to such government subsidies. As a result, countervailing duties and antidumping tariffs were assigned to Chinese manufacturers, which cumulatively range from 149% to 500% (depending on the manufacturer).
During 2024 we introduced a four seat golf cart, the VLCN MN1 Adventurer (the “Adventurer”), that has a fold down rear seat to allow for light utility use. The Adventurer and the Tradesman, discussed above, are manufactured by Super Sonic Company Ltd. (“Super Sonic”) in Vietnam, which currently has a tariff of 2.5%.
Ebike
According to Grand View Research, the electric bicycle market was valued at $1.98 billion in the U.S. for 2022. The market is expected to grow at a volume CAGR 15.6% through 2030. This growth is attributed to a rise not only in recreational use, but also daily commuting due to environmental concerns, consumer vehicle cost of ownership, and government incentives.
Our Products
Two-Wheeled Products
We began selling the Grunt in September 2021 and the Grunt EVO replaced the Grunt in September 2023. Due to the manufacturing cost of the Grunt EVO, we terminated the manufacturing contract for it in December 2024. As of March 2025, we have sold all of the remaining Grunt EVO finished goods.
Beginning in the second quarter of 2024, we began evaluating other potential electric motorcycle offerings. We are determining what features and specifications would be included for new offerings including considering a street legal version that would be dual purpose as an on-road/off-road motorcycle (not highway legal). We have identified one new model which we are working on developing with a third party manufacturer. We received prototypes in February 2025 and we are testing them to evaluate the feasibility to produce and sell them. Provided testing is successful, we expect to start selling this product in the third quarter of 2025.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, we began selling an E-Bike, the Brat which is manufactured by a third party. The Brat is a class 2 E-Bike and can be used on-road or off-road.
We will continue to evaluate other potential two-wheel product offerings throughout 2025.
Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs)
Beginning in the second quarter of 2024, the Company began discussions with various third party manufacturers of electric UTVs to identify models that we could purchase. These models would be primarily used for utility purposes, have two or three passenger options, a dump bed or flatbed for hauling cargo, with speeds up to 30 miles per hour. These models may also include an enclosed cab with optional air conditioning.
During 2024, we signed an agreement with a manufacturer to distribute one of these utility UTV models, the VLCN HF1 in North America for five years, which includes a royalty agreement with the manufacturer for them to distribute the vehicle outside of North America. Royalties would commence in the third year of this agreement.
We also signed another agreement with Super Sonic to distribute other light UTV models, the VLCN MN1 in the United States. The VLCN MN1 has two models, the MN1 Adventurer, a golf cart style product, which has four seats with a fold down rear seat to accommodate light cargo and the MN1 Tradesman which has two seats with a dump bed for utility purposes.
Distribution and Supplier Agreements
In January 2025, we signed an exclusive distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the manufacturer of the MN1s to distribute their golf carts in the United States and its territories. Super Sonic appointed us to act as their exclusive distributor of certain of their golf cart products (the “Products”), in the U.S. Super Sonic agreed to recommend us as the sole provider for all Products to all their customers in the U.S. . Super Sonic has the right to sell non-Volcon branded Products to other customers and shall pay 5% of the order price to us. Before the end of June 2025, we agreed to provide a procurement plan, and if we fail to meet the minimum purchase requirement described in the procurement plan for two consecutive months, Super Sonic shall have the right to immediately terminate the Distribution Agreement. During the term of the Distribution Agreement, to the extent we sell any Volcon-branded products (the “Volcon Products”) that are similar to the Products, we agreed to provide Super Sonic with a right of first refusal to manufacture the Volcon Products. As more fully discussed in Note 15 of the accompanying financial statements, we may be required to issue our common stock, warrants to purchase our common stock and the right to appoint a director to our board of directors if certain golf cart sales volumes are attained.
On February 24, 2025, we entered into a Supply agreement (the “Supply Agreement”) with Venom-EV LLC (“Venom”) to supply Venom with certain golf carts. The Supply Agreement allows Venom to purchase up to $3 million of golf carts with payment terms of 90 days from the date the golf carts are delivered to Venom’s facility. These golf carts will be purchased through a manufacturer specified in the Supply Agreement and we will receive consideration of the cost of the golf carts plus a three percent margin. We received an initial order from Venom for $2.4 million of golf carts. At the end of each calendar quarter, we agreed to issue Venom shares of Company common stock based on the number of golf carts purchased by Venom during the quarter as follows: for each 1,000 Units sold in 2025 to Venom by us, we shall issue Venom a number of shares equal to 1% of our outstanding shares of common stock (the “Venom Shares”) as of the last day of such quarter that the 1,000 Units were sold for no additional consideration. The requirement to issue the Venom Shares shall cease upon the sale of 5,000 Units or June 30, 2026, whichever comes first. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent the issuance of the Venom Shares shall require shareholder approval pursuant to the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, such issuances shall be subject to the receipt of such shareholder approval If, for any reason, we fail to issue such shares to Venom, Venom is entitled to compensatory damages in the amount equal to the value of the Venom Shares that should have been issued to Venom in that quarter (determined by the closing stock price on the last day of that quarter), and to immediately terminate the Supply Agreement.
Customers
Dealers
We sell our products through powersports dealers, bicycle retailers, and golf cart dealers. As of March 25, 2025, we have 117 active powersports dealers, 13 active bicycle dealers and 8 golf cart dealers. For dealers who qualify for credit, we offer dealers payment terms of 30 to 90 days to make larger purchases of our vehicles provided their order is within their established credit limit. For dealers that do not qualify for credit, they must pay for their order prior to shipment. Powersports dealers can order any of our available products, bicycle retailers can order the Brat, and golf cart dealers can order either version of the MN1. We have entered into an accounts receivable factoring arrangement to allow us the ability to generate cash for working capital. We have agreements with third party financing companies to provide financing to qualified customers of dealers or customers purchasing from our website. There is no recourse to us or the dealer if the customer defaults on the financing agreement with the third party.
Consumers
Consumers can purchase the Brat from our website and have it delivered to a location of their choosing in the continental U.S. During 2024, we began selling the Grunt EVO through our website where continental U.S. customers could pay a deposit and complete their purchase at one of our U.S. powersports dealer locations.
International Distributors
We also sell our two-wheel products internationally through importers. Each importer buys vehicles by the container and sells vehicles and accessories to local dealers or directly to consumers. Payment for orders is required in advance of shipment, except in a few limited instances. Local dealers or the importer will provide warranty and repair services for vehicles purchased in their country. As of March 21, 2025, we have signed agreements with six importers in Latin America, one importer for the Caribbean Region, collectively referred to herein as the LATAM importers, and one importer each in New Zealand, Australia and Japan to sell our two-wheel vehicles and accessories in their assigned countries/markets. In 2025, we expect to expand our global sales of our vehicles and accessories beyond our current distributor base and offer our four-wheel products to these customers.
Manufacturers
We outsource the manufacturing of all of our vehicles and accessories to third party manufacturers and suppliers. The estimated fulfillment of all two-wheeled and UTV orders we have received, or will receive, assumes that our third party manufacturers can successfully meet our order quantities and deadlines. We have experienced delays due to our third party manufacturers being unable to timely meet our order deadlines, and there is no assurance that we will not experience delays in the future until such time as we are able to source products from multiple manufacturers or from larger, more established manufacturers. If they are unable to satisfy orders on a timely basis, our customers may cancel their orders. Also, due to the limited number of third party manufacturers who manufacture our products, if any one of them experiences financial hardship and cannot manufacture our products, our customers may cancel their orders which will harm our sales. All of our products are manufactured internationally. If there is a change in import laws, including an increase in tariffs, the cost of our products will increase. We could also experience delays in receiving shipments of our products if there are delays in getting carriers to ship our products or delays at the port of entry.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends, at least in part, on our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we currently rely on a combination of trade secrets, including know-how, employee and third party non-disclosure agreements, and other contractual rights to establish and protect our proprietary rights in our technology.
Our industrial designs are protected by design patents. In addition, we intend to file for additional utility patents. There is no assurance that we will be granted any such patents. We do not know whether any patent applications will result in the issuance of patents or whether the examination process will require us to narrow our claims. Even if granted, there can be no assurance that our issued patents or new patent applications will provide us with protection.
We have registrations for the trademarks VOLCON, GRUNT, and GRUNT EVO in the U.S. We have also applied to register additional trademarks – including VOLCON, VOLCON BRAT, EMPOWERING ADVENTURE, STAG, VOLCON STAG, VLCN, VLCN BRAT, VLCN HF1, VLCN MN1, VLCN FT1, VLCN HT1, VLCN SK1, and VLCN RV1 - in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and certain additional countries in Latin America, and many of these trademarks are now allowed or registered in these countries. We have resolved some conflicts and potential conflicts that have arisen with regard to the use and registration of our trademarks through coexistence agreements and the submission of arguments. We have received notice from an entity in Brazil who has opposed our applications for trademarks including the word VOLCON, but we believe the trademarks and the goods being sold under them are not similar and there is no potential for confusion.
In addition, we have been transitioning from the use of VOLCON to VLCN in certain countries, in some instances to avoid potential conflicts with marks that are similar to VOLCON. Our efforts to secure trademark registrations for VOLCON and VLCN and other trademarks referenced above are ongoing and we may encounter resistance from other companies, particularly as we expand into additional territories. If we receive objections from other entities and are unsuccessful in obtaining agreements or otherwise resolving the matters with these entities, we will need to consider the use of different trademarks for our Company and our products.
Competition
There are dozens of manufacturers that sell off-road motorcycles, UTVs and E-Bikes in the U.S. and even more globally. The markets for powersport vehicles and E-Bikes are highly competitive based on a number of factors, including innovation, performance, price, technology, product features, styling, fit and finish, brand recognition, quality and distribution. We believe our ability to compete successfully in these markets depends on our ability to capitalize on our competitive strengths and build brand recognition.
Many companies, which have greater financial and marketing resources than us, make electric street motorcycles , including Zero Motorcycles. Some companies make electric UTVs as part of their product line. For example, Polaris has a joint venture with Zero Motorcycles to help them design dedicated electric UTVs, the first product of which began selling in 2023. Many companies, like Super 73, make and sell E-Bikes and have a stronger established brand name and product line.
Government regulations
We initially focused on the off-road-only portion of the market for our motorcycle and UTV because it is free of many of the homologation issues and highway certifications required to produce and sell an on-road vehicle. In some states, off-road vehicles do have legislative restrictions, but they are related to noise and exhaust emissions, two things our vehicles do not produce. The MN1 product line can be used as an on-road vehicle and is required to comply with certain federal, state and local regulations. In addition, we are currently in the early stages evaluating an on-road/off-road motorcycle.
Federal, state, and local governments have promulgated and/or are considering promulgating laws and regulations relating to the safety of our products. In the U.S., the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has federal oversight over product safety issues related to off-road vehicles and E-Bikes. We believe that our products comply with all applicable CPSC safety standards as well as all other applicable safety standards in the U.S.
The assembly, use, storage, transport and disposal of battery packs is subject to extensive regulation. Complying with these requirements involves substantial costs, and any failure to do so may result in heavy fines or other restrictions on our operations. Additionally, we may be responsible for the recycling and proper disposal of expended batteries from our vehicles. We may enter into agreements with third parties to manage such recycling and disposal; however, we may be found liable for any failures in compliance by these third parties and subject to fines or remediation liabilities, which costs may be substantial.
Vehicles sold internationally are subject to the local laws of each jurisdiction in which we sell our vehicles. Our international distributors are responsible for ensuring that our vehicles comply with the jurisdiction in which they are importing the vehicle. Costs associated with compliance are the responsibility of the distributor. These regulations may result in increased costs and expenses, which may materially and adversely affect the distributors business where it may not be economically feasible to sell our products locally, which in turn will adversely impact our results of operations or financial condition.
Human Capital
Mission
People are at the core of our DNA. Our mission is to source industry leading products that connect people to outdoor experiences through the intentional blending of leading technology and design. Our vision is to amplify the powersports experience for all. Our values are building the future of powersports.
Employee Engagement
Our employees and contractors focus on customer care, developing and sourcing our products, and building our marketing channels. We believe we offer competitive benefits and programs to develop employees’ expertise, performance, and engagement, while implementing corporate policies to provide a safe, harassment-free work environment. This work environment is guided by principles of fair and equal treatment and prioritizes effective communication and employee engagement.
We are committed to building a strong culture with high levels of employee engagement. We hold ad hoc meetings where management discusses various topics with employees including operational updates, vehicle development, financing activities, company policies and safety. Management is also committed to being available to discuss any employee concerns on a one-on-one basis. We believe that our employees are our greatest asset and are striving to consistently evaluate our progress in developing and maintaining engagement.
Available Information
Our website is at www.volcon.com. We make available, free of charge, on our corporate website, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. Information contained on our website does not, and shall not be deemed to, constitute part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our reference to the URL for our website is intended to be an inactive textual reference only.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.