Harley-Davidson has launched its new standalone brand ‘LiveWire’ in the US, with LiveWire One electric motorcycle as its first offering
Earlier this year, Harley-Davidson had announced that it would spin out LiveWire into a new standalone, all-electric brand. The ‘LiveWire’ brand has now officially been introduced in the US, and its website has gone online as well. Its first offering has been christened ‘One’, which is essentially the Harley-Davidson LiveWire with a few changes.
The biggest change is the price; the new LiveWire One is priced from $21,999, excluding destination charges, while the Harley-Davidson LiveWire used to have a starting price of $29,799. Also, the new model also loses out on two colour options – Yellow Fuse and Orange Fuse – while a new Horizon White option has been added. The Vivid Black colour has been carried over from before, now named Liquid Black.
Another major change is the addition of Haptic feedback on the motorcycle. It essentially imitates the ‘heartbeat’ thrum of a traditional Harley engine, by sending vibrations to the rider via the seat, and it gets three different levels. This may just be a gimmick, but it’s a fun little touch.
Other than that, the motorcycle offers plenty of other features, like a TFT-LCD digital instrument cluster, which can stream directions for navigation, monitor alerts, show battery status, and all other necessary info. The bike also gets a six-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), cornering ABS, and riding modes (Sport, Road, Range, and Rain).
Powering the LiveWire One is a 15.5 kWh battery pack, connected to a 78 kW electric motor (105 HP and 117 Nm). The motorcycle is good for a range of 146 miles (around 235 km) when riding within city limits. Also, the battery supports DC fast charging, taking just 60 minutes to charge from 0-100 per cent, and just 45 minutes to charge from 0-80 per cent.
Harley-Davidson is focusing on the digital experience with the LiveWire brand. The motorcycle can be booked either online or via the new LiveWire dealerships across the US (which are slated to grow in number). LiveWire One will be sold in a few other international markets starting next year, and we expect the new EV to make its way to India as well, in the near future.
