Harley Davidson airs technical details of the LiveWire

Harley-Davidson has published technical details about its first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire. The Harvey LEV will be launched in autumn this year and can be pre-ordered from U.S. dealers starting immediately. First prototypes can also be seen at the CES in Las Vegas.

++ Kindly find an update to this article below. ++

Firstly some details on the series version of the electric debut motorcycle, the Harley LiveWire: The bike can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and offers a range of around 110 miles (177 km). The charging standard used is a fast CCS connection. Harley-Davidson has also announced the price and says the “highly networked” model will cost just under 30,000 dollars, the equivalent of around 26,000 euros.

The U.S.-Americans first presented the serial version in November at the EICMA. By now, the development process for the machine has already been underway for more than four years.

At the CES, Harley-Davidson also presented the prototypes of its electric moped and an off-road electric motorbike that they had announced in July 2018, which will be available from 2021. Further, concrete designs for a lightweight electric motorcycle and an electric bicycle should already be in the company’s drawer. The prototypes are an integral part of Harley-Davidson’s roadmap called More Roads. “We will be taking a broad approach to e-mobility, with a product family that varies in size, performance and price,” comments COO Michelle Kumbier at the presentation of the plans last summer. The aim is to appeal to a whole new target group.

It is no secret that Harley-Davidson has an ageing customer base and is trying to attract younger and more city-focused drivers. It is also fitting that the lightweight electric prototypes are designed for an urban future and are generally easy to drive. They have no clutch, no gearshift and require no motorcycle licence. By the way, both models, which are in the limelight at CES, feature removable batteries.

Meanwhile, Harley-Davidson is also preparing its dealers for the launch of the LiveWire: The company plans to have at least one dealer in each of the 50 US states, as well as additional contact points in major conurbations. For dealers to be able to offer the LiveWire, they must meet many requirements, including a local DC fast charger.

Update 14 January 2019: While Harley had kept quiet on details regarding the batteries, Samsung SDI now announced that they would deliver the battery technology for Harley’s first electric motorcycle. For Samsung, it is a first to work the motorcycle market too and Kim Jung-Wook, Vice President of Samsung SDI, stated that “The diversification of battery supply lines from electric vehicles to electric motorcycles is a very meaningful step”.

Update 31 March 2019: Harley-Davidson is prepping for EVs as dealerships for the famous US American motorcycle brand have begun installing charging infrastructure in anticipation of the planned electrification of the brand. The Level 3 chargers are all branded.

electrek.co, rideapart.com, carscoops.com, harley-davidson.com, samsungdi.com (update Jan), electrek.co (Update March)