LiveWire One, Harley-Davidson tries again with its electric motorcycle
LiveWire One
Harley-Davidson was supposed to announce a new model this week, but instead relaunched the same electric motorcycle presented three years ago. This time it is called LiveWire One and it has lost the logo of the famous US house, to underline how the LiveWire brand makes history in itself (and is kept away from the custom tradition). But what's new, besides the slightly longer name?First of all, the price. If before the outlay was around 30,000 dollars in the United States and over 34,000 for us Italians, now it will be lower. This is due to the fact that we are talking about a product that is no longer brand new, for which various reductions and optimizations have been adopted in the production chain. For this reason, the cost of LiveWire One has dropped by almost $ 10,000 to make it immediately more attractive. We do not yet know what the reductions will be for non-US markets, where they are only expected in 2022.
Beyond the trendiest name, and an updated logo on the tank, no big news are announced in the specifications. Speaking of an electric vehicle, the most important one remains the range which officially reaches 234 km on a single charge. The latter takes only 60 minutes to be completed at a fast charger and 80% of the charge is reached after 45 minutes. Obviously, the wait is much longer when recharging from home: 11 hours through the wall socket (with the US 110 volt socket).
In the relaunch and refurbishment policy Harley-Davidson is going through, it seems not wanting to risk too much with this restyling. The choice not to present a completely new model shows that the US house remains very careful about costs, after years of economic difficulties. Especially since electric motorcycles are still a very niche sector that will hardly produce large revenues in the short term.
Having said that, marketing will be encouraged in the United States with a major promotional campaign that will start in California in about ten days. New showrooms focused solely on LiveWire One are planned, along with events that will allow you to see and test this bike more closely. In addition, in the US it will be possible to order one over the Internet and collect it later at a regular Harley-Davidson store.
Harley-Davidson Launches All-Electric LiveWire One
Harley-Davidson LiveWire One Electric Motorcycle
2021 Harley-Davidson Motor CompanyA few years back, Harley-Davidson introduced the LiveWire electric motorcycle. It was the brand's first EV splash, and while people liked the idea, the almost-$30,000 bike didn't sell in tremendous numbers. This week, that concept vehicle officially became an entirely new standalone brand that will only sell all-electric motorcycles.
The first product from the LiveWire brand will be the LiveWire One, which the new company is calling 'the electric motorcycle built for the urban experience, with the power and range to take you beyond.' In real terms, that means a range of 146 city miles (the company did not disclose any other range estimate) and the ability to recharge at a DC fast charger to go from completely empty to 100 recharged in 60 minutes. A zero-to-80-percent-full charge takes 45 minutes at a DC fast charger.
The bike has some forward-looking features, including a connected site that will let riders stream directions, monitor alerts and track recharge status online. Harley also said the LiveWire One will be a 'bike with a pulse' that gives the rider a 'haptic heartbeat' from the zero-emission powertrain. This … feeling will '[surpass] the old sensations of combustion' and add 'a touch of humanity to electricity,' the company said.
Harley-Davidson LiveWire One Electric Motorcycle in black.
2021 Harley-Davidson Motor CompanyFor more details, we will have to wait until Harley debut the LiveWire One at IMS North California on July 18. Harley will also offer demo rides and 'experience moments' at the event.
Twelve LiveWire galleries around the U.S. (California, New York and Texas) are scheduled to open by the fall and these will be the first to actually sell the LiveWire One. If you're not in one of those states, LiveWire will communicate with its fans through a combination of digital and physical means, which LiveWire is calling a 'hybrid omni-channel model' and means you can order a bike online and pick it up at a standard Harley-Davidson dealer. The electric bike will be available in other countries in 2022.
'As part of The Hardwire Strategy, we made a commitment that Harley-Davidson would lead in electric,' The chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Jochen Zeitz, said in a statement. 'We recognized the pioneering spirit and brand value in LiveWire for our community and took the decision to evolve the original LiveWire motorcycle into a dedicated EV brand. Today's LiveWire ONE builds on the DNA of Harley-Davidson but with the electric focus and ambition of the new LiveWire brand. Harley-Davidson and LiveWire will continue to rewrite the motorcycle rulebook and we are excited about this next chapter in our legacy.'
Harley-Davidson LiveWire One Electric Motorcycle charging port.
2021 Harley-Davidson Motor CompanyThe LiveWire One will start at $21,999 and LiveWire is accepting orders now on the official website at LiveWire.com. Some color options will cost extra, and the price does not include tax, title, licensing, registration fees, destination charges, additional accessories and any additional dealer charges.
