LiveWire One Is 26 Percent Cheaper Than the H-D-Branded EV

[Hugh Janus]

To quote AC/DC: “I ain’t foolin’ Can’t you tell: I’m a Live Wire, I’m a Live Wire, I’m a Live Wire. Gonna set this town on fire.” The LiveWire One debuts with a $21,999 price tag. No foolin’. (LiveWire/)

Following Harley-Davidson’s announcement that it’s co-opting the LiveWire name for its all-electric sub-brand, the Milwaukee company is unveiling the LiveWire One, the latest version of the original LiveWire, an electric motorcycle that immediately stole headlines by giving diehards pause to consider the potential implications of H-D’s long-held nickname: “The Motor Company.” In addition to revealing changes to its flagship electric bike—mainly a significant price cut—Harley-Davidson’s press release also fleshes out relevant details of the Hardwire strategic reboot meant to see the iconic brand through the next 120-ish years.

Some bikes just look good in black. (LiveWire/)

In the press release, Jochen Zeitz, Harley-Davidson president, chairman, and CEO says: “As part of The Hardwire Strategy, we made a commitment that Harley-Davidson would lead in electric. We recognized the pioneering spirit and brand value in LiveWire for our community and took the decision to evolve the original LiveWire motorcycle into a dedicated EV brand. Today’s LiveWire One builds on the DNA of Harley-Davidson but with the electric focus and ambition of the new LiveWire brand. Harley-Davidson and LiveWire will continue to rewrite the motorcycle rule book and we are excited about this next chapter in our legacy.”

LiveWire One Pricing

OK, so the bike itself is mostly unchanged, but the LiveWire brand’s ambition, as Zeitz calls it, is clearly revealed in dollars and cents: The new model is $7,800 cheaper than the original. How’s that for ambition? As a halo model, the 2019 LiveWire came to market with a price tag of $29,799. Three years later, the LiveWire One starts at $21,999. Affordability is definitely a great way to express ambition, so well done, Harley…er, LiveWire. And for those keeping track, $21,999 puts it at the same price point as the Zero SR/S.

LiveWire early adopters who dropped $30K may be less enthused by the news, though time will reveal if there’s something of consequence in having a first-run model in black and orange paint and the name of the company’s founders on the tank cover. The One has a sleek graphics treatment featuring the stylized “LW” LiveWire logo, and while it’s difficult to tell in photos, it appears as though there’s no Bar & Shield or “H-D” in sight.

Revelation powertrain. (LiveWire/)

The press release goes on to say: “with evolved software and hardware, LiveWire One builds on the experience of the original LiveWire and reflects the new identity of the LiveWire brand.” At the time of press, Harley-Davidson did not provide further details about the specifics of the “evolved software and hardware.”

Buying a LiveWire

Alongside news of the LiveWire One, Harley-Davidson reveals LiveWire will have a “hybrid omnichannel” retail model. Essentially, that means consumers will be able to seamlessly interact with the brand in traditional brick-and-mortar stores, online, and on social media channels. To the curmudgeonly among us (raises hand), that may sound like non-news, but in practical terms it’s kind of important. For those who’ve ever bought, say, a T-shirt online and subsequently tried to return it to a store, only to be denied because the digital and physical worlds of the brand don’t really mix, you’ve experienced the shortcomings of multichannel retail. What we want then is omnichannel retail, where parting with our money requires the most minimal of barriers because the virtual and physical channels are aligned. Sarcasm aside, omnichannel retail is the future and Harley claims to be the first of the OEMs to get there.

To that end, visit livewire.com if only to get a glimpse of the brand’s identity. While the author’s rural internet connection is too slow to fully experience its bright-feathered allure, it does seem very hip. For those of us with slow internet, LiveWire is also opening 12 new dealerships in California, Texas, and New York with more sites planned for later this year. A LiveWire Experience Gallery “designed to facilitate a fully immersive brand experience”—whatever that may be—is also scheduled to open in the fall/winter of 2021.

“Oh, stick this in your fuse box!”: AC/DC again. (LiveWire/)

Look, traditionalists may scoff at all this fancy techy stuff (the website/social stuff, not the motorcycle) and pine for the days when your local H-D dealer, “Bif’s Bikes ‘N’ Stuff,” was just a grimy little spot with a hell of a mechanic and a lot of ancient wisdom, but you have to hand it to Harley-Davidson for deeply committing to its strategy for future profitability. Not everyone will like it. Some will. Either way, by speratating the dirt-under-your-nails world of internal combustion Big Twins, and the shiny, utopian world of LiveWire, Harley-Davidson seems to understand its markets and is trying to give the people what they want.

Other than that, most people can agree that a top-line motorcycle that’s 26 percent cheaper than it was last year is very cool. Don’t see that everyday. The LiveWire One can be ordered today at—you guessed it—livewire.com.

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[Tym]

Um ok.