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| Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire |
Four-weeks ago the Motor Company shocked the world (no pun
intended) by announcing its exploratory foray into electrics. Headlines like “Hell Freezes Over Harley-Davidson Shows New Electric Motorcycle” captured the
sentiment of the day. No one could have
imagined the 111-year old Motor Company, creator and champion of arguably the
most beloved internal combustion powered motorcycles in history, would ever
build anything else. For a few Harley
riders, the news was downright sacrilege.
After all, an electric motorcycle could never look, feel, or sound like
a “real” Harley-Davidson…right? Unfortunately, in the midst of the buzz
surrounding the announcement, the real story behind Harley-Davidson’s electric
motorcycle was lost.
The world we live in today is vastly different from the
world we lived in 10 years ago… or even five years ago. Social norms are not the same. Right, wrong, or indifferent, even the things
people deeply value have changed. To
remain successful, companies and individuals must adapt. If they don’t, they face extinction. The Motor Company’s history, rich in
tradition, makes their announcement even more heartening because it shows a true
willingness to adapt. At the end of the
day, Harley-Davidson’s continued success relies on its ability to stay true to
its heritage while building a bridge to the future. Project LiveWire does just that…and therein
lies the real story.
Manufacturer
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Status
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Prototype
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Production
|
Production
|
Production
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Production
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Range (miles)
|
~60
|
158-171
|
50-128
|
105-140
|
62-118
|
Top Speed (mph)
|
~92
|
~100
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~110
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~150
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~150
|
Price $
|
???
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9.5K-21.9K
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11K-19K
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32.5K-42.5K
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25K-28K
|
No doubt, the Motor Company has a few hurdles to jump in
terms of user acceptance and overall range but their efforts to build customer
interest and acceptance with the Project LiveWire ExperienceTour and their collaboration with Mission Motors are steps in the right direction. As a bona-fide Harley-Davidson
enthusiast and rider, I’m hopeful that other Harley riders will recognize this
as a giant leap towards the future and support the Motor Company’s efforts to
bring this electric motorcycle to market. Although it might not be feasible to
ride 1000-miles in 24 hours on a LiveWire (or any other electric motorcycle)
today, urban-suburban commuting is entirely within reason. Given the current specs for existing production
electric motorcycles, one can almost bet that the Motor Company has some
surprises up their sleeve when it comes time for production.
 |
Navigant Research - Top 10
e-Motorcycle/e-Scooter Players Today
(Photo from
zeromotorcyles.com)
|
Fellow moto-blogger, Chris Cope, wrote that
Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle represents a seismic shift in
motorcycling. I couldn’t agree more. According to Navigant Research, the market is in
the early stages of development and its key players are relatively new manufacturers
with limited distribution channels. Harley-Davidson
has the name recognition, capital, and worldwide distribution channels needed
to electrify a market projected to grow by 30% a year (in North America and
Europe) for the next decade. With LiveWire, Harley-Davidson is poised to become
THE dominant player in the electric motorcycle market. Seismic shift, indeed!
____________________________________
References:
- http://www.npr.org/2014/06/28/326434594/harley-hopes-an-electric-hog-will-appeal-to-young-urban-riders
- http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2014/06/29/harley-davidson-considers-electric-motorcycle/11730139/
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2014/06/19/hell-freezes-over-harley-davidson-shows-new-electric-motorcycle/
- http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/24/5837642/riding-project-livewire-harley-davidson-first-electric-motorcycle
- http://www.jsonline.com/business/harley-davidson-electric-motorcycle-prototype-to-be-launched-b99294676z1-263792061.html
- http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/06/19/harley-davidson-unveils-first-electric-motorcycle/
- http://www.wired.com/2014/06/harley-davidson-livewire/
- http://mashable.com/2014/06/19/harley-davidson-electric-motorcycle/
- http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/19/an-electric-motorcycle-for-harley-davidson-new-model-sounds-like-a-jet-on-an-aircraft-carrier/
- http://indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/what-harley-davidsons-first-electric-motorcycle-means-1592983608
- http://green.autoblog.com/2014/05/22/annual-e-motorcycle-e-scooter-sales-will-reach-6-million-by-202/#continued
- http://www.navigantresearch.com/research/electric-motorcycles-and-scooters
- http://www.navigantresearch.com/research/pike-pulse-report-electric-motorcycles-and-scooters
- http://www.afr.com/p/technology/harley_davidson_project_livewire_K2g1sKZlMs0VrxvT1bM3pM
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