Harley-Davidson Won’t Bail Out LiveWire, Says CEO

Harley-Davidson‘s new CEO, Artie Starrs, has made it clear that the company will not save its all-electric offshoot, LiveWire, from bankruptcy. During the brand’s Q3 investor call, Starrs stated that Harley-Davidson will not fund LiveWire’s operating losses going forward. This comes as a surprise, given the recent introduction of the Honcho scooter and Hightail dirt bike, which had sparked hope that LiveWire could turn things around. However, with sales of only 1,200 units per year, and recent years seeing even fewer than 1,000, it’s clear that the EV motorcycle market is not yet viable. Starrs’ comments have dashed hopes that LiveWire could be saved, despite its promising new products. The author suggests that if there was ever a time to save LiveWire, it’s now, but only by keeping the Honcho and Hightail models and integrating them into the Harley-Davidson family. The rest of the LiveWire lineup, however, should be discontinued due to lack of demand and infrastructure.