Harley-Davidson was launching its first-ever production electric motorcycle, LiveWire™, as part of the company’s initiative to increase riders, new to the brand, and to motorcycling itself. With this introduction, the brand was positioning itself to be a leader in the EV market. Due to the requirements and/or infrastructure to sell, service and charge electric vehicles, the brand’s dealer network would be required to make an initial investment to upgrade their facilities and train staff. Additionally, LiveWire™ was a dramatic departure from traditional Harley-Davidson products, having the potential to polarize dealers. Lastly, the number of LiveWire™ motorcycles allocated to dealers for the first model year would be much lower than past models, limiting the revenue the dealer would hope to realize initially.

The LiveWire™ dealer launch culminated in a national dealer tour—Charged & Ready: The LiveWire Dealer Experience. This mobile experiential event engaged and educated dealers, as well as provided opportunities to see the product up close and ask questions of the Harley-Davidson EV Readiness team. The eight-city tour welcomed over 500 dealers who learned about the EV customer and discovered key LiveWire™ features. To further leverage this investment, the employees of Harley-Davidson were also invited to experience at their corporate headquarters.

The Results