CES 2019: Harley Davidson to Start Selling Electric Bike This Year

Harley Davidson electric bike LiveWire goes on in sale from 2019 onwards.

This is what the US motorbike manufacturer has created. 

(Photo Courtesy: Harley Davidson)

American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson's first electric motorcycle "LiveWire" equipped with Samsung SDI Co's battery pack will be available in markets like the United States in 2019.

The electric motorcycle runs on a battery pack, comprising lithium-ion cells made by Samsung SDI.

The American motorcycle manufacturer is showcasing LiveWire at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 this week, where it will accept preorders for those who’re interested in the first-of-its-kind Harley Davidson two-wheeler. The bike has been priced at $29,799 (Rs 20.02 lakh approx).

LiveWire's range is approximately 180 km, and it can do zero to 100 kph in just 3.5 seconds, Samsung SDI claimed.

Harley Davidson has said that the LiveWire can be charged at any compatible charging station, or with its on-board charger and a standard household outlet. It will support three levels of charging, delivering different charging results with riding range.

The overall look and feel of the bike is unlike any Harley Davidson bike we’ve seen till date. (Photo: Harley Davidson)

Levels of Charging LiveWire:

• Level 1 (standard household outlet): 20.9 km range per hour of charge.
• Level 2: Connect to Level 2 charge unit but will be charged at the Level 1 rate.
• Level 3 (DC Fast Charge): 308 km range per hour of charge.
  

The bike will operate via H-D Connect app that will be free for the first year and after that, there will be a subscription fee for the owners.

Without going for the the paid feature, LiveWire owners won’t be able to take advantage of the remote status and security features, as highlighted by Harley Davidson on its website. It has also confirmed that detailed data collection and privacy information will be available at the time of service launch.

The bike can be controlled via a H-D Connect app. (Photo: Harley Davidson)

Back in 2014, Harley-Davidson conceptualised and showcased its Project Livewire that had the hallmarks of a signature Harley machine, and touched speeds of up to 160 km/hr.

Harley Davidson’s Project Livewire. (Photo: Harley Davidson)

The project failed to hit the ground running, mostly because the bike couldn’t manage to run for more than 60 kms on a single charge. But going forward, one really expects Harley-Davidson to dish out a power machine that isn’t a fuel guzzler and relies on alternate energy sources.

It’ll be interesting to see when Harley Davidson plans on getting this bike to markets like India, where the use of electric vehicles is still at a premature stage.