CEO Says the Future of Harley-Davidson is All-Electric

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CEO Says the Future of Harley-Davidson is All-Electric

Fortunately, the future is a long time from now, and gas-powered Harleys aren’t going to disappear anytime soon.

In a recent interview with English magazine Dezeen, Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz made a big pronouncement. And given how much it might scare hardcore fans? It’s kind of appropriate that his remarks were first published on Friday the 13th. Because when asked about the Moco’s future he said, “At some point in time, Harley-Davidson will be all-electric.”

As you’d probably guess, there’s a “but” there — and it’s a big one. Because Zeitz also clarified that the move to an all-electric lineup is “a long-term transition that needs to happen,” and “not something you do overnight.” This quote offers even more perspective:

It takes decades, right? But you have to also think in decades rather than just thinking about what year and the short-termism that everyone is exposed to as a public company. We have to think about the transition, and preparing for that transition is why LiveWire was born.

Now, given that statement, it will be at least 20 years before this transition occurs. It’s also worth noting that Zeitz has been running Harley for just three years, and his predecessor, Matt Levatich, only held the post for five years. So it’s not like running the company is a lifetime appointment, and Zeitz is pushing to pull gas-powered bikes from the streets. Far from it.

In my opinion, even with as much traction as this story has gotten, it’s a bit of a nothing burger. But it does raise some pretty interesting questions about what the future of Harley, and motorcycles in general, looks like.

Because at some point, probably after I’m dead, the production of internal-combustion engines will be banned. Or at least banned for street use. And if Harley wants to survive for another 120 years, it will have to adapt to the changing landscape of the world. That means building electric, or at least zero-emission bikes. Personally, I think it’d be cool if Harley was able to figure out a way to make hydrogen-powered bikes, so they’d rumble like the bikes of today, but be clean as a whistle when it comes to emissions.

Of course, it’s virtually impossible to predict what the future holds, but I imagine riders will still be able to use conventional motorcycles for decades to come, the same way that you’ll occasionally see an ancient Model T in traffic.

From my perspective, Harley is actually in a great position to survive far into the future, specifically because of how iconic the brand is. By that I mean that Harley isn’t just selling motorcycles, Harley is selling an image, a cache, and a community. Harley is selling the very idea of freedom, and that will never go out of style. Only marques that have that sparkle — think Harley, Triumph, Ducati — will likely survive the transition to electric motorcycles, at least here in the States, where they’re toys more than transportation.

That said, when it comes to the future of motorcycles, I’m more concerned with the dynamic between motorcycles and self-driving cars than I am about electric motors making bikes soulless. But that’s another story entirely. In the meantime, we don’t have to worry about ICE Harley-Davidson’s going anywhere. Count on it.

Photos: Harley-Davidson

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John Coyle is a longtime auto journalist and editor who contributes to Corvette Forum, Ford Truck Enthusiasts and LS1Tech, among other auto sites.