{"id":14989,"date":"2022-02-09T08:51:43","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T13:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=14989"},"modified":"2022-02-09T08:51:43","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T13:51:43","slug":"harley-davidsons-new-lower-cost-electric-motorcycle-coming-in-q2-under-livewire-sub-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=14989","title":{"rendered":"Harley-Davidson’s new lower-cost electric motorcycle coming in Q2 under LiveWire sub-brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harley-Davidson is riding high on its positive 2021 earnings report showing a huge 32% increase in revenue. Even more exciting news for electric motorcycle fans came in the company\u2019s announcement on the earnings call that its next electric motorcycle, the LiveWire Del Mar<\/a>, would be debuting next quarter.<\/p>\n

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Harley-Davidson made a splash in 2019 when it rolled out its first production electric motorcycle<\/a>, the LiveWire. In 2021, Harley-Davidson decided to spin off its continued electric motorcycle operations into a sub-brand, also called LiveWire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The company then announced late last year that the LiveWire brand would go public via a SPAC deal <\/a>expected to be completed by the end of Q2 2022.<\/p>\n

Also coming in Q2 of this year: LiveWire\u2019s<\/a> next electric motorcycle model known as the Del Mar.<\/p>\n

That news was just confirmed by Harley-Davidson\u2019s CEO Jochen Zeitz during the company\u2019s earnings call.<\/p>\n

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The LiveWire Del Mar will be the first bike produced on LiveWire\u2019s new ARROW platform<\/a>, designed as a lower-cost foundation for several new electric motorcycle models.<\/p>\n

Instead of a traditional frame like the one seen on the LiveWire One<\/a>, which was the new name for the Harley-Davidson LiveWire after the sub-brand spinoff, the ARROW platform uses a structural battery pack that largely replaces the frame.<\/p>\n

The battery was designed in-house by Harley\u2019s LiveWire engineers and is comprised of 21700-format cylindrical Li-ion battery cells.<\/p>\n

Unlike the complicated Revelation motor in the LiveWire One that runs parallel to the long axis of the bike and requires a bevel gear to rotate the output shaft 90 degrees, the ARROW platform appears to use a simpler direct-drive motor mounted co-axially to the swingarm. It\u2019s a design that we\u2019ve seen before, perhaps most famously in the Zero SR\/F and SR\/S electric motorcycles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know much else about the Del Mar\u2019s specs or performance yet, other than that the company has described it as a \u201cpowerful, nimble electric motorcycle and the foundation for future variants.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Those future variants are even less clear, though Harley does already have plans for S3 and S4 models, which could be even lighter and more affordable electric motorcycles.<\/p>\n

As it stands, the LiveWire One is currently priced at $21,999, which is a significant reduction from the original H-D LiveWire\u2019s debut price of $29,799 in 2019.<\/p>\n

The Del Mar is likely to help push LiveWire\u2019s pricing even lower, making it more competitive with other major electric motorcycle manufacturers.<\/p>\n

Harley-Davidson\u2019s LiveWire team likely has other light electric motorcycles and mopeds in the works too. Two Harley-Davidson concepts for an electric dirt bike and e-moped <\/a>have made occasional appearances for several years. The electric moped<\/a> in particular could be an interesting way for the company to snatch up market share among younger riders with lighter wallets.<\/p>\n

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Harley-Davidson also famously spun-off its electric bicycle project <\/a>as a new e-bike startup known as Serial 1.<\/p>\n

We tested the e-bikes before they were released to the public <\/a>and were quite impressed with the build quality and feature list, including items like a built-in glove box that haven\u2019t been seen on electric bicycles before.<\/p>\n

The company has witnessed strong demand for its e-bikes, especially for a new e-bike startup in a premium category. Interestingly, the company has combined marketing tactics from both the conventional electric bicycle industry as well as Harley-inspired motorcycle industry moves. Serial 1 has undertaken several custom one-off projects for themed e-bikes, building beautiful one-of-a-kind bikes <\/a>that have been auctioned off for thousands of dollars above retail, often benefitting charities in the process.<\/a><\/p>\n

Serial 1 also created a hilarious short film<\/a>, taking advantage of its \u201coutsider\u201d status to skewer cycling snobs and old-school Lycra-clad cycling culture in general, in favor of a more inclusive cycling world with electric bikes.<\/p>\n

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