Harley Davidson launched an EV sub-brand ‘LiveWire’

KUALA LUMPUR: Ramping up the bets on the fastly growing EV market, the American motorcycle company Harley Davidson launched an all-new electric vehicle sub-brand called ‘LiveWire’. Yes, the new brand uses the name of the company’s first electric bike LiveWire launched in 2018. 

The move comes after the brand’s announcement of creating an entirely new electric bike division within the main company, which will target the younger and environmentally conscious riders.

Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO of Harley-Davidson said “One of the six pillars of The Hardwire Strategy is to lead in electric – by launching LiveWire as an all-electric brand, we are seizing the opportunity to lead and define the market in EV. With the mission to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world, LiveWire will pioneer the future of motorcycling, for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. LiveWire also plans to innovate and develop technology that will be applicable to Harley-Davidson electric motorcycles in the future.”

At the International Motorcycle Show, the company will introduce the first LiveWire branded motorcycle on July 9, 2021. No details about the upcoming motorcycle are released as of now, however, we can take a hint from the image given on LiveWire’s website. It suggests that the e-bike will be an upgraded version of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. The most noticeable difference appears to be LiveWire badging in place of the H-D badge.

According to the automaker, the EV sub-brand will initially focus on urban bikes and will develop innovative tech to get a competitive advantage. The brand will have a “virtual” headquarters with hubs in Silicon Valley and Milwaukee regions while the dedicated showrooms will also be established that will allow the customers to experience the e-bikes in an immersive and innovative way.

In terms of technology, LiveWire will benefit from Harley-Davidson’s “engineering expertise, manufacturing footprint, supply chain infrastructure, and global logistics capabilities.” 

Well, launching a sub-brand for electric nameplates is not a new strategy in the industry, as different automakers like Hyundai and Toyota have also launched their electric-focused brands with the names Ioniq and Prius, respectively.

Also read: Meet the Harley-Davidson Icon Collection first model, the Electra Glide Revival