Electric motorcycles took a big step towards the mainstream today with Harley Davidson unveiling “Project LiveWire”, the Milwaukee firm’s first electric motorcycle.
Project LiveWire
Image credit: Harley Davidson
The machine will not go on general sale just yet however. As a working prototype and test bed, the firm will instead select customers from the US to ride it and provide feedback.
For a company which trades heavily on it’s heritage, this is a bold move from Harley Davidson but one which has the potential to secure the future of the company as the worlds best known motorcycle brand.
For manufacturer’s caught between the increasing age profile of the average motorcycle rider on the one hand, and ever more stringent emissions and noise regulations on the other, the move towards electric motorcycles could open up entirely new markets and appeal to younger rider riders.
Where Harley Davidson arguably has an advantage over the niche electric brands like Brammo or Zero is the firm’s ability to throw its manufacturing and marketing muscle behind the project. Harley is one of only a handful of manufacturers in the world with the ability and the credibility to take electric motorcycles from novelty to mainstream.
Efforts towards producing electric bikes have thus far been largely confined to small urban commuters, typically scooters, while companies such as Zero have produced some useful middleweight models. We previously reported on the Zero (click here) but what Harley Davidson brings to the party is the tantalising prospect of a full size electric motorcycle backed by the might of one of the worlds biggest brands. Bring it on!
Project LiveWire
Image credit: Harley Davidson
For more see: http://project.harley-davidson.com/en_IE