Tag Archives: Formula One

Harley-Davidson sponsors Formula E team

Harley-Davidson is pouring sponsorship dollars into the Formula 1 electric category ahead of the release of their first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire.

The LiveWire will cost about $US29,990 (about $A40,000) when it is released in America and Europe in September 2019. It will be released in Australia late next year.

Harley electric LiveWire Harley and Indian announce 2018 sales results
Harley LiveWire

Four-wheel formula?

Just because Harley is sponsoring leading Formula E team Envision Virgin Racing does not necessarily mean the iconic American company will produce electric cars in future.

After all, Harley has previously sponsored other car racing categories, including several of the Australian Supercars drivers, and has not yet released a four-wheeler.

However, never say never, right?

The sponsorship deal is more to do with the incoming wave of electric mobility and raising its profile in Europe where the company is facing hefty retaliatory tariffs in the wake of President Trump’s trade wars.

Last week Harley announced a further 3.8% drop in sales, laying some of the blame on the trade war.

Trump responded by saying the European tariff hike on Harleys and other American products was “unfair to the US” and that “we will reciprocate”.

However, the tariff hike is in response to Trump’s tariff hike on European steel and uranium which also increased raw material costs for Harley.

When Harley announced last year that they were closing a Missouri factory and opening on in Thailand, Trump called for a boycott on Harley for moving production offshore, even though they had already been making bikes in Brazil and India for some years.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com