With even traditional and iconic brands like Harley-Davidson heading towards the power lines to draw some spark that brings life to their future products, it is now pretty certain that fossil fuel might just join other remnants of the Jurassic age and find its way to the Museum. Making the clock tick faster to get there, Harley-Davidson’s ‘Project LiveWire’ will reach out to riders around the world, providing them with an opportunity to add their voices to help shape the future of their first electric motorcycle.
Project LiveWire, which made its debut last year, will provide select consumers in Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States with an opportunity to ride and provide feedback on the bike, helping to guide the development of the new motorcycle, beginning this week with events at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.
“Project LiveWire has reset expectations about what a Harley-Davidson motorcycle can be,” said Harley-Davidson Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “The first phase of the Project LiveWire Experience tour provided valuable feedback about the features and experience riders expect from an electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This year we’re expanding that experience to a global audience to gain even deeper insights from riders to help us shape the future direction of this exciting technology.”
Not on sale yet, the Project LiveWire™ motorcycle was specifically designed for the purpose of seeking insight into rider expectations of an electric Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. The Project LiveWire Experience invites customers to test ride and learn more about the story of the motorcycle and provide feedback on their experience. Even those who don’t yet ride will have the opportunity to feel the power of Project LiveWire through the Jumpstart™ demo – a simulated riding experience. In 2014, more than 15,000 customers provided feedback on Project LiveWire, including more than 6,800 who took demo rides, as part of a 30-stop tour across the United States and at a special consumer event for Latin American customers in Miami. Longer term plans for retail availability of Project LiveWire will be influenced by feedback from riders during the Project Livewire Experience tour.
Highlights of the 2015 tour, which encompasses events in eight countries on three continents, include:
· Media and invitation-only consumer rides at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit from Feb. 25 to March 4.
· A contest for riders throughout Europe to enter for a chance to be one of the first 1,000 people to ride Project LiveWire at one of five locations in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands from May to August.
· A 13-stop tour in the United States and Canada visiting select Harley-Davidson® dealerships and consumer events beginning in April.
“We are led by what our customers tell us matters most,” said Richer. “Because electric vehicle technology is evolving rapidly, we are excited to learn more from riders through the Project LiveWire Experience to fully understand the definition of success in this market as the technology continues to evolve.”