There are things to both love and hate about EVs. I can tell you this from experience, because I've ridden and driven a few now, as well as lived with some.
My favorite part is that instant hit of torque. It's all RIGHT THERE. Instant gratification at your fingertips; no line, no waiting for a too-small power band. And sometimes, you also get the benefit of a fun, zippy noise that you've previously only heard in sci-fi movies and animation. Bonus.
If the place where you're living can accommodate charging overnight, everyday life with an EV is pretty simple. But apartment life can make EV living (and overnight charging) more complicated. Add to that the frustrations and limitations of our existing infrastructure (especially in the US, but not only here), and the sources of extremely deep sighs only grow.
It's still, unfortunately, true that electric motorcycles have yet to really take off, though. Electric scooters are proving useful in the right markets, with the right support. Swappable battery systems in high-use areas, such as the ones that Gogoro has implemented, Kymco is rolling out, and both Honda and Yamaha are getting into, seem like a great solution for those scooters.
But EV motorcycles are a different challenge, and riders often choose them for different reasons than they do scooters. In some parts of the world, motorcycles are everyday tools and transportation. However, in the US, they're primarily less about practicality and more about fun (even if folks like me insist they can be both).
While things on the sales front haven't been brilliant with LiveWire, they and parent company Harley-Davidson are naturally hoping to change that. One thing that could help is the mid-July 2024 announcement by the US Department of Energy that the Motor Company will receive an $89 million federal grant to help convert existing facilities for EV manufacturing.
It's called the Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant Program, and under its auspices, nine separate automotive facilities around the US have been selected. Harley-Davidson, in cooperation with LiveWire, will be expanding its existing York, Pennsylvania plant for EV manufacturing purposes.
According to the DOE, "in coordination with its affiliate, LiveWire, Harley-Davidson will increase production of existing LiveWire EVs and begin commercially producing additional Harley-Davidson and LiveWire branded EVs."
Additionally, it adds that "annual production will ramp up through 2033 and beyond."
Will this make dismal sales and shipment numbers like the ones we've seen most recently a relic of the past? That depends on how many riders line up to buy the bikes they're putting out, which also depends on how they're priced, what kind of infrastructure buildouts are made in the areas where they're sold, and so on.
What does Harley plan to do with the money? When RideApart asked a Harley representative about this news, they responded that they had no comment at this time.
Here's what we do know, thanks to the plan officially outlined by the DOE.
It specifically calls out key points including workforce expansion, reinforcement of supply chains, and incorporation of components from two separate Harley-Davidson-owned, unionized plants.
The electric powertrains for current and future bikes will come from Milwaukee, just like the combustion ones. Bodywork fabrication and paint will come from the Tomahawk, Wisconsin plant. And the York, Pennsylvania facility will be outfitted and expanded to help make the finished bikes possible.
Here's hoping this boost has the intended effect. Will riders new and old pick up what they're putting down in greater numbers? That depends on a great many things, but fingers are undoubtedly crossed.
