At the time of LiveWire’s launch, it was by no means a foregone conclusion that the market for high-capacity, high-powered electric motorcycles would be so difficult to reach, or even to build.
Harley, with its solid tradition of motorcycles with a strong personality and a star-studded identity, was right to try, to play a card like the first true electric muscle bike. You know, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and at the time it was not at all clear what direction the electric market would take; however, things are not going well and those who bet on the flop at the time may have won.
What we do know is that the future of LiveWire, which in fact belongs to a company fortunately separated from Harley-Davidson, is anything but bright. In the first quarter of 2024, it recorded operating losses of 29 million dollars, to which must be added losses of 125 million dollars in 2023 and losses of 85 million dollars in 2022. In short… nothing good yesterday or today, given that the company claims to have recorded sales of 660 in 2023 and 117 in the first few months of 2024.
It’s also true that we may see a change in trend and the recent presentation of the LiveWire S2, a much smaller, more compact and more economical motorcycle, may indeed mark a turning point in this brand’s outlook, but the math speaks for itself.
Even now, a good number of years after the presentation of the LiveWire, there is still a big question mark over a market that, for the time being, seems to welcome small electric bikes for city transportation and sharing, but which remains a minefield for manufacturers and big brands. Apparently, a large proportion of motorcyclists are unconvinced, if not downright hostile, to an innovation that presents some uncertain areas that are difficult to resolve.
Decisive elements such as the price, which is really high, despite government and regional incentives, the range, which is really low, despite what is declared by the manufacturers, and, finally, the life expectancy of the batteries, with the consequent considerable reinvestment on the part of the user and a perspective of second-hand value deeply conditioned by this aspect. These, and probably other issues, leave a market with undiscovered potential.