Following a sly press release on its website, Harley Davidson has announced the debut of its first electric motorcycle Live Wire at the EICMA in Milan this week.
The ambitious project is expected to hit the showrooms by later in 2019 and is likely going to be a 2020 machine. This might make the announcement an interesting considering the fact that the Bar and Shield brand has been over-eager lately to explain its future plans.
Being the largest trade show in the motorcycle industry, Harley’s decision to showcase its plans at the EICMA could be justified by stating that Europe could be a strong market for the Livewire. However, we are curious about the company’s decision to ditch America’s own version of the EICMA, the AIMExpo that was held in Las Vegas this year.
Harley Davidson’s sales sheet has not been happening with the US figures constantly facing a slack. As for the Livewire, the bike marks Harley Davidson’s curtain raiser for the Electrified bike segment. Apart from that, the Livewire is also Harley’s first full-sized motorcycle from a major brand, which is intriguing in its own right.
This lets the company explore new areas of the market and step away from its widespread image of heritage lineup of machines and market messaging. However, it is not news that Harley Davidson has given some serious thought to include electric powertrains in its upcoming line-up.
The American manufacturer has always been open about its plans of entering the EV segment. However, it did face some setbacks after it called off its partnership with Alta Motors earlier this year. Immediately after the two American companies parted ways, Harley Davidson announced its plans to set up at R&D facility in Silicon Valley while Alta shut its doors due to lack of funds.
