Harley-Davidson just made its first electric motorcycle available for pre-order

The LiveWire lives!
By Rachel Kraus  on 
Harley-Davidson just made its first electric motorcycle available for pre-order
Think of the LiveWire as a hog on a vegan diet. Credit: harley-davidson

It's a hog on a diet.

Harley-Davidson announced Monday at CES that its all-electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, is now officially available for pre-order. It starts at $29,799 and will begin shipping in August.

The iconic motorcycle company first introduced the LiveWire in 2014, but it had been more of a flashy concept than a reality until last year. In 2015, it appeared on screen as the steed of Scarlett Johansson's Avengers character Black Widow. And, finally, in the company's January 2018 earnings call, it confirmed that the bike would ship in the next 18 months — which now appears to be right on schedule.

In addition to, ya know, not needing gas, one of the main advantages to the bike seems to be its simplicity to drive. Ordinarily, motorcycles require manipulating the clutch and shifting gears. But the LiveWire just requires riders to twist the throttle.

It also apparently packs a punch, going from 0 to 60 in under three and a half seconds. Its black design with a pop of color and exposed details makes it look both modern and classic. Which, as a Harley, we suppose it is.

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That orange tho... Credit: harley-davidson

Harley-Davidson claims the LiveWire has a range of 110 miles. And as an electric motorcycle, it of course comes with an app. There's also a touchscreen in the dashboard.

There are other electric motorcycles on the market. The company Zero Motorcycles sells them and Yamaha has one in the works. There's even a 3D printed one, but it's sadly not for sale.

With the LiveWire, Harley-Davidson could be poised to become the king of the (green) road.

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Rachel Kraus

Rachel Kraus is a Mashable Tech Reporter specializing in health and wellness. She is an LA native, NYU j-school graduate, and writes cultural commentary across the internetz.


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