Harley-Davidson
The Harley-Davidson LiveWire
- Harley-Davidson's CEO stepped down late last month amid struggles at the company, including lackluster sales of the brand's first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire.
- The LiveWire's steep MSRP and low range meant it didn't catch on with young riders as Harley had hoped, but there are plenty of EV bike manufacturers looking to challenge the industry icon.
- Zero Motorcycles, Cake, Lightning, and others sell electric motorcycles without household names, and their lineups are expanding by the day.
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Between an aging customer base, slumping sales, and new tariffs eating into profits, Harley-Davidson has had a rough go of it as of late. On top of all that, plenty of upstart motorcycle companies are looking to steal market share with their forward-looking, battery-powered bikes.
Late last month, amid the above issues, Harley-Davidson CEO Matthew Levatich abruptly stepped down after 26 years with the company. Levatich had bet that Harley's first electric offering - the LiveWire - could jump-start sales and attract younger riders, but the electric motorcycle has, so far, failed to deliver.
Manufacturing issues delayed LiveWire deliveries, while a steep MSRP of nearly $30,000 likely put off younger, less affluent riders. A limited combined city-highway range of only 95 miles also cuts down on the LiveWire's appeal - for just a few thousand more, you can buy a Tesla Model 3 with a claimed 250 miles of range.
But the LiveWire isn't the only option for motorcycle riders in the market for a greener alternative to their gas-guzzling bike. Several electric-bike startups - based in the US and abroad - are looking to get in on the EV trend.
Take a look at some of the electric motorcycles competing with Harley's LiveWire below: