*By Amanda Weston* The electric vehicle industry got a jolt this week as Harley-Davidson introduced its new LiveWire electric motorcycle at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show. "We're the leader in the category, so we're going to lead the electrification of the sport," Heather Malenshek, senior vice president of marketing and brand at Harley-Davidson, told Cheddar at CES. Malenshek said [LiveWire](https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/future-vehicles/livewire.html?source_cd=Vanity_livewire) goes from zero to 60 in less than 3.5 seconds, with a range of more than 100 miles and a top speed of around 110 miles per hour. "It's a high-performance motorcycle for serious motorcyclists, but it's a simple-to-operate bike for those getting into the sport as well," Malenshek said. "So we're really excited." Malenshek said a Level 1 charger is stored on the bike, allowing customers to plug it into household outlets. Select dealerships will also have charging capabilities. Malenshek expects its new bike to attract a mix of both new and old Harley-Davidson ($HOG) riders. "We do believe we're going to get a lot of new customers who wouldn't have considered Harley-Davidson before, but we also think a lot of our existing customers are going to be intrigued and interested and get on the bike," Malenshek said. "But this is really about opening us up to a new market and a new customer segment." Electric cars are rising in popularity, but Harley-Davidson isn't expecting a total electric takeover in the near future. "I see internal combustion and EV actually living together pretty nicely under our brand for quite a while," Malenshek said. "But the adoption's increasing, so we're hopeful with the range of motorcycles that we're going to bring that we'll have a good percentage of the market as we lead the rest of the industry." Harley-Davidson started taking pre-orders Monday with a target release date of Aug. 2019. The LiveWire motorcycle starts at $29,799. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/harley-davidson-gears-up-to-go-electric).

Share:
More In Business
Starbucks’ Change Flushes Out a Debate Over Public Restroom Access
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
Trump Highlights Partnership Investing $500 Billion in AI
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Load More