Harley-Davidson Unveils the Company’s First Electric Motorcycle

Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson unveiled the Project LiveWire electric motorcycle, showing the famed brand wants to diversify its motorcycle offerings.

Unfortunately, similar to other first-generation electric vehicles, the project motorcycle has a relatively short battery range.  A single charge lasts for about 130 miles, and recharging takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes – a necessary pit stop for any road trips.

Kudos to Harley-Davidson for shaking up its marketing and sales strategy, as there are very few full-size electric motorcycles available.  A company called Zero Motorcycles announced a full-sized model in 2010, and predicts 2,400 units sold per year.

Here is what Matt Levatich, Harley-Davidson president, said in a press statement:

“We think that the trends in both EV technology and customer openness to EV products, both automotive and motorcycles, is only going to increase, and when you think about sustainability and environmental trends, we just see that being an increasing part of the lifestyle and the requirements of riders.  So, nobody can predict right now how big that industry will be or how significant it will be.”

To help promote the electric motorcycle, Harley-Davidson plans a 30-city tour across the United States, with dozens of selected customers rolling across the country.  Harley-Davidson likes to innovate and experiment with different motorcycles, but embracing EV could be a worthwhile long-term investment.

Thank you Sky News for providing us with this information

Image courtesy of Harley-Davidson