RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The famous sound of Harley-Davidson bikes will change from next month when the first electric model in its history, the LiveWire, will start to be sold in the United States.
Brazil could be a future destination. “The plan is to release it in Brazil next year, but this will still depend on the development of infrastructure for charging electric vehicles and also the preparation of our dealerships to supply this product,” said Flávio Villaça, marketing manager of Harley-Davidson in Brazil. According to the executive, the work with the chain should start soon.
Unlike the car industry, there is still no major motorcycle manufacturer that has invested heavily in electric motorcycles.
The company does not deny that it seeks new opportunities in its product lines to attract more customers, of different types. In the first four months of the year, Harley-Davidson sales fell 3.8 percent worldwide.
In the United States, the LiveWire will be sold next month for US$29,799 (R$116,216). It is expected that the model will cost around R$120,000 in Brazil.
For now, apart from the USA, only Canada and Europe should welcome the bike in 2019. According to Harley, “global availability” is planned for 2021.
The LiveWire has a 105 horsepower engine. As the power delivery on electric motorcycles is almost immediate, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds. Due to electric propulsion, the model has no gear or clutch.
According to the company, the battery allows the motorcycle to travel up to 235 kilometers on urban routes. In mixed-use, with urban and road cycles, the bike may run approximately 152 km.
The battery needs 40 minutes to receive 80 percent of the charge and a total of 60 minutes to reach 100 percent under the fast charging system. The motorcycle’s engine brake also features a regenerative energy system.