Harley-Davidson (HD) has dived into the world of Alta Motors via a collaboration that will see the two develop a one-of-a-kind electric motorcycle (e-motorcycle).
These are exciting times in the tech world and only time will tell whether the two cultures will click.
What would be the result when a loud gas motorcycle manufacturer (Harley-Davidson) fuses with a silent efficient electric one?
We know your guess is as good as ours. Despite being in the news for a couple of years, the electric Harley-Davidson has little, if any to show for it. Then, just suddenly the company shows up ready to create two fast-paced machines, one with additional specs and the other through collaboration with Alta Motors, a renowned e-motorcycle champion.
Seemingly, all we needed to do was make a request because after questioning the possibility of the electric HD LimeWire project ever becoming a reality, several days later Harley-Davidson and Alta Motors announced their e-motorcycle partnership, partly answering our questions.
Harley-Davidson has finally agreed to invest in its future by becoming a stakeholder in Alta Motors, a Brisbane, California based e-motorcycle maker and champion company. The two companies have confirmed their commitment to producing e-motorcycles and specifically teaming up to design and develop a new e-motorcycle.
If you can recall well, Alta Motors were on a real expansion mission in 2017. In fact, the company reached out to potential states within the US, hired more officers, and went on to shame today’s top-rated gasoline Supercross motorcycle with a customer’s Redshift motorcycle that beat today’s best. This was a hot slap in the face for the legendary internal combustion engine (ICE) technology during a world-class championship.
All in all, it’s tricky to predict the benefits that the two different cultures will bring to the e-motorcycle. Many technology enthusiasts are wondering whether the new machine will feature the unique audio signature unique to HD or whether it will embrace the new quieter style.
According to Matt Levatich, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson, “Earlier this year, as part of our 10-year strategy, we reiterated our commitment to building the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders, in part, by aggressively investing in electric vehicle (EV) technology… Alta has demonstrated innovation and expertise in EV and their objectives align closely with ours. We each have strengths and capabilities that will be mutually beneficial as we work together to develop cutting-edge electric motorcycles.”
Our findings reveal that Alta Motors is a company on the road to full expansion. According to the company’s Co-Founder Marc Fenigstein, who is also Chief Product Officer, “Riders are just beginning to understand the combined benefits of EV today, and our technology continues to progress… We believe electric motorcycles are the future, and that American companies have an opportunity to lead that future. It’s incredibly exciting that Harley-Davidson, synonymous with motorcycle leadership, shares that vision and we’re thrilled to collaborate with them.”
Harley going electricity
Who would have thought that Harley-Davidson would consider partnering with an electric motorcycle champion company to design an electric motorcycle? The world of technology is rapidly evolving and yesterday’s propulsion will remain there as tomorrow’s mobility ideas are already here with us. HD’s decision to partner with Alta Motors will go down as one of the biggest highlights for the year 2018.
