Harley-Davidson relaunches LiveWire as standalone brand
Seven years after it was launched, Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire has been launched again, but this time as a standalone all-electric brand and not just a model within the Milwaukee manufacturer’s lineup.
The move to make LiveWire its own brand allows a new, dedicated focus on the electric space and also frees it from any heritage shackles as a Harley-Davidson model, allowing the brand to redefine the idea of electric motorcycles without the need to honour Harley-Davidson tradition.
LiveWire won’t be entirely separated from Harley-Davidson, though. It will still be retailed through the Harley dealer network, but there will be dedicated EV showrooms in the future, as well as virtual showrooms, so customers can “discover the brand on their own terms”. The mix of physical and virtual retailing will be tailored to suit each market.
While LiveWire is going it alone, it will use existing Harley-Davidson engineering expertise, as well as Harley’s supply chain infrastructure and global logistics capabilities.
As LiveWire grows, the two brands will share technologies as they focus on their core market segments.
LiveWire’s transition from a model to a brand is part of The Hardwire Strategy announced earlier this year that aims to reboot Harley after the failure of the Many Roads to Harley-Davidson strategy that, ironically, developed and released the LiveWire.
“One of the six pillars of The Hardwire Strategy is to lead in electric – by launching LiveWire as an all-electric brand, we are seizing the opportunity to lead and define the market in EV,” said Harley-Davidson president and CEO, Jochen Zeitz, announcing the transition on 11 May.
“With the mission to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world, LiveWire will pioneer the future of motorcycling, for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond.
“LiveWire also plans to innovate and develop technology that will be applicable to Harley-Davidson electric motorcycles in the future.”
Moving Forward
As indicated by Zeitz, future plans for LiveWire include being more than just a motorcycle brand. Specifically, LiveWire aims to be a pioneer in the electric motorcycle space, in the urban environment initially, but will “go beyond,” according to the press release, suggesting electric tourers, baggers and adventure bikes may be offered in the future.
Technological development in the EV space will be another driver for LiveWire moving forward, with the press release stating “LiveWire plans to develop the technology of the future and to invest in the capabilities needed to lead the transformation of motorcycling”.
LiveWire will be headquartered virtually, across Harley’s traditional home in Miwaukee, Wisconsin, and the ‘LiveWire Labs’ in Silicon Valley, California. These are only the initial hubs, according to Harley-Davidson, with the virtual HQ concept allowing new hubs to be set up anywhere to attraction the best design and engineering talent.
New Model Coming
The first model under LiveWire branding will be launched on 8 July, followed by its first public appearance at the International Motorcycle Show in Irvine, California on 9-11 July.
Ahead of the launch, the dedicated LiveWire website - www.livewire.com – is just a homepage, with the slogan ‘Pioneering the future of motorcycling and beyond, by means of design, software and experience’.
You can also sign up for information and updates at www.livewire.com