Harley-Davidson has created a new electric motorcycle brand called LiveWire, following in the footsteps of many automakers who have created new divisions for their electric cars in order to distinguish them from their traditional gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings. Volkswagen has its ID. brand, while Mercedes electric cars are marketed under the EQ brand. GM now builds electric delivery vans which it sells under the Brightdrop label.
The first electric motorcycle from the Milwaukee company is called the LiveWire One, which lists for $22,799, zips to 60 mph in 3 seconds, and has a range of 145 miles. It can be recharged from 0 to 80% of capacity in 40 minutes using a DC fast charger.
This week, the company unveiled its new middleweight electric motorcycle called the Del Mar. Built on the brand’s new Arrow platform, it features a 60 kW (80 hp) motor capable of sprints to 60 mph in under four seconds, Engadget says, quoting media sources. The starting price will be $15,000.
The Del Mar uses lithium-ion battery cells in the 2170 format housed in a structural case that doubles as part of the frame. To make it lighter, the onboard charger and other components are packaged inside a single unit mounted to the outside of the battery case. As a result of the company’s campaign to reduce weight, the Del Mar is about 25% lighter than the LiveWire One.
Range of the LiveWire is expected to be around 100 miles, but it can only be charged using a Level 1 or Level 2 charger. It will feature built-in GPS and cellular connectivity, which will allow the company to roll out new software features for the motorcycle and fine tune its performance through over-the-air updates.
After the Del Mar was revealed this week, LiveWire made 100 special Launch Edition models available at $17,699. They sold out faster than Harley-Davidson T shirts at Daytona bike week. Regular production of the Del Mar is expected to begin in the spring of 2023.
The Rest Of The Story
Sharp eyed readers will note the announcement this week says the LiveWire Del Mar will be built on the so-called Arrow platform. It also said it is developing a third model based on that architecture. Some may remember my colleague Jo Borras did a story about the Arrow platform just last month and a company called Zaiser that may (or may not) have been involved in the Arrow project.
When he asked for clarification, he got a lot of “no comment” answers and several dark mutterings about attorneys, courts, and lawsuits. Jo is still digging for the rest of that story and when we know more, you’ll know more. Until then, check out this way cool video from Harley-Davidson about the new Del Mar.
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