Today, Harley-Davidson has announced its plans to dive headfirst into the EV market with the launch of the all-electric LiveWire brand.
Harley-Davidson initially launched the LiveWire model in 2019 and with great success, the American brand has now created an electrically focused brand using the name of the US’s number one selling electric motorcycle – LiveWire. The LiveWire brand will keep the focus on the urban rider while maintaining Harley-Davidson’s personality and soul.
Per HD’s press release, the first LiveWire branded motorcycle is scheduled to launch on July 8, 2021, and to premiere at the International Motorcycle Show on July 9, 2021. For more information and updates, register at livewire.com.
“One of the six pillars of The Hardwire Strategy is to lead in electric – by launching LiveWire as an all-electric brand, we are seizing the opportunity to lead and define the market in EV. With the mission to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world, LiveWire will pioneer the future of motorcycling, for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. LiveWire also plans to innovate and develop technology that will be applicable to Harley-Davidson electric motorcycles in the future.” said Harley-Davidson CEO, Jochen Zeitz
Harley-Davidson has decided to split LiveWire into its own brand to allow the electric motorcycle sector to develop without detracting from the core of Harley-Davidson products. The LiveWire brand will have headquarters located in California and Wisconsin – while other marketing and products will be held virtually.
HD also plans on sharing technology and product development to ensure both brands have the latest technology for their respective products. LiveWire products will be featured in participating Harley-Davidson dealerships in addition to marketing virtually.
At this time, the LiveWire website has been activated and urges visitors to sign up for more information and updates on the LiveWire brand. Further info should appear on the website as the brand develops.
It’s going to be interesting to see if it can avoid the same fate- being stuck in the corner of dealerships that don’t want to talk about them or non-Harley customers. I rolled up on a K1200r and and it took fifteen minutes to find a sales person that could even talk about performance. One even suggested I get a ‘real bike’.
That said, I wish them well and will gladly test ride. If they can make something fun that covers my commute and a decent weekend (No, not Ironbutt), I’m down. Electric spoils you quickly.
It all sounds a bit horses v gasoline, the purist will want to maintain the statusquo while the visionary will point to the future with declining rainforests and acid rain.
Some say the reality is neither gasoline or electric and we should be headed toward hydrogen power.
In the meantime I am going to have a ball testing any and all new rides I can get my hands on, I just love riding!!
I know I’m being a dead horse but this is what they should have done with Buell.
I don’t see the LiveWire brand going anywhere unless they have their own dealerships. Electric bikes are so anathema to the Harley lifestyle, and this coupled with Harley dealers’ reputation of snobbishness towards those who don’t ride Harleys will relegate these to dim corners of dealership floors where no salesperson will dare tread due to fears of being perceived as not being one of the tribe.
I think this is an excellent idea. Electrics can be sold separately from the H-D brand, and H-D dealers who are interested can sell them, but don’t have to carry them. The electric market being centered in California is very smart, as there’s a big difference between the Midwestern H-D rider and the coastal/urban commuter, to oversimplify things. I imagine that Livewire might not need full-sized dealerships, as most electrics can be delivered directly to your house, and won’t require as much maintenance. Rethinking the customer experience can make a big difference, and I hope they’ll also expand the line to include a wide variety of price points and target audiences.