One of the crucial anticipated electrical bikes set to hit the highway this yr, the LiveWire S2 Del Mar, is anticipated to roll out to prospects later this summer time. However earlier than it does, Harley-Davidson is shaking issues up with a brand new CEO for the e-motorcycle model.
Harley-Davidson’s CEO, Jochen Zeitz, additionally served because the all-electric model’s preliminary CEO when LiveWire was spun out of its bar-and-shield guardian firm.
Now after serving for an agreed-upon interval, Zeitz is stepping apart to welcome in LiveWire’s new CEO, Karim Donnez. Zeitz will stay the chair of LiveWire.
Zeitz praised Donnez’s entrepreneurial chops as he introduced the brand new CEO’s function on the head of the younger electrical motorbike model:
Having efficiently stood-up LiveWire as a model and listed the Firm on the NYSE, I’m excited to cross the baton to Karim and to welcome him as LiveWire’s new CEO, following an in depth international search course of. Karim is an entrepreneurial enterprise chief with a demonstrable monitor report of driving transformational progress by way of each technique growth and implementation. The Board and I stay up for Karim realizing the potential of LiveWire, as we proceed on the Firm’s journey to guide the electrification of the game.
Donnez, who holds an MSc in Engineering from Arts et Métiers ParisTech and an MBA from HEC Montréal, involves LiveWire from Bombardier Leisure Merchandise Inc. (BRP). He has held a number of roles at BRP since 2015, together with most not too long ago because the president of BRP’s Marine Group.
The announcement comes at a time when LiveWire is anticipating to be gearing up for summer time deliveries of its highly-anticipated S2 Del Mar electrical motorbike.
Regardless of being the second mannequin in LiveWire’s lineup, it’s thought-about to be the primary mannequin produced absolutely in-house beneath the LiveWire badge. The LiveWire One, which is the corporate’s present flagship motorbike, was first developed by Harley-Davidson and launched because the H-D LiveWire earlier than being barely retooled after which launched because the LiveWire One after the sub-brand was spun out as a brand new firm from inside Harley-Davidson.
The LiveWire S2 Del Mar was initially unveiled round a yr in the past, with the restricted Launch Version promoting for $17,699 and the manufacturing model claiming an anticipated US $15,000 goal value. Reservations for the Launch Version bought out in simply 18 minutes, highlighting the pent-up demand for the brand new LiveWire mannequin.
The ultimate value for the manufacturing version was not too long ago revealed to be US $15,499, or round $7,000 decrease than the LiveWire One electrical motorbike. Inflation fears induced considerations that the ultimate value can be greater, however the firm was in a position to maintain it with US $500 of the unique estimated goal.
We don’t but have full specs for the LiveWire S2 Del Mar, although the corporate says that data shall be revealed later this month.
For now, we all know that the bike is focusing on an influence score of round 80 horsepower (60 kW) and a metropolis vary of roughly 100 miles (160 km). The S2 Del Mar incorporates a 0-60 mph time of round 3.1 seconds, providing city riders a high-performance bike that may deal with commuting or pleasure rides – although not essentially lengthy pleasure rides at freeway speeds.
Stage 2 recharging is claimed to high up the battery from 20-80% in 75 minutes, although that may be a far cry from the practically 30-minute cost with the LiveWire One’s DC Quick Charging.
For commuters, although, it’s probably loads. Most riders cost up on a decrease energy outlet in a single day, and the S2 Del Mar isn’t actually meant for cross-country rides. However for house dwellers or anybody with out residence charging, the power to get a principally full cost in simply over an hour will nonetheless be a significant comfort in comparison with slower-charging bikes.
Whereas we await the ultimate reveal of the entire efficiency specs, try my check trip of an S2 Del Mar prototype from late final yr. It’s one of many few check rides presently on the market, at the least till the bikes begin getting delivered. However contemplating that one of many names on the lengthy reservation checklist occurs to be my very own, we’ll hopefully be again with a extra detailed evaluation quickly.
