Harley-Davidson to go fully electric: CEO

SAN FRANCISCO: Cruiser bikes giant Harley-Davidson is transitioning to become an all-electric brand in a process that will take decades, says its CEO Jochen Zeitz.

“At some point in time, Harley Davidson will be all-electric.

“But that’s a long-term transition that needs to happen. It’s not something you do overnight,” Zeitz was quoted as saying.

According to Zeitz, electrification is the next logical step in the evolution of the brand that was founded 120 years ago, reports Dezeen.

“If you look at the past 120 years, the company has always evolved, never stood still. Now, like the founders did at the time by trying to reinvent or invent something unique, that’s obviously something that we as a company brand need to do as well,” he said.

“What we’re doing is celebrating our past but also evolving the brand at the same time. It’s a natural evolution that needed to happen,” he added.

Even though Harley-Davidson has begun producing electric motorcycles, Zeitz does not believe it will abandon petrol in the near future, the report mentioned.

The company launched its first electric motorcycle in 2018, named LiveWire. Moreover, Harley-Davidson unveiled its first-ever electric bicycle inspired by the brand’s first motorcycle from 1903 in 2020.

The new business called ‘Serial 1 Cycle Company’ started as a project within the motorcycle manufacturer’s product development centre.