Harley sparks electric bike production

Harley-Davidson has announced that it has invested in California-based electric motorcycle manufacturer Alta Motors.

The news comes a month after HarleyDavidson president and chief executive officer Matt Levatich told investors the company was on track to deliver its first electric motorcycle “within 18 months”.

Speaking about Alta Motors, Levatich said: “Alta has demonstrated innovation and expertise in EV and their objectives align closely with ours. We each have strengths and capabilities that will be mutually beneficial as we work together to develop cutting-edge electric motorcycles.”

The chief product officer and co-founder of Alta, Marc Fenigstein, added: “Riders are just beginning to understand the combined benefits of EV today. We believe electric motorcycles are the future… It’s incredibly exciting that Harley-Davidson, synonymous with motorcycle leadership, shares that vision and we’re thrilled to collaborate with them.”

Harley-Davidson has shown a very real interest in electric motorcycles for a number of years. Its LiveWire Project drew tremendous interest when it was unveiled in 2014, with thousands of riders clamouring for an opportunity to throw a leg over one of the prototypes. The project was eventually put on the back burner, while H-D looked to address issues of range and cost. And we assume that this collaboration with Alta will help the company overcome some of those challenges; but, don’t expect Harley to change its stripes completely.

Levatich finished by saying: “We intend to be the world leader in the electrification of motorcycles. At the same time, (we plan to) remain true to our gas and oil roots by continuing to produce a broad portfolio of motorcycles that appeal to all types of riders around the world.”