Harley temporarily suspends production of LiveWire electric motorcycle due to charging problem

Harley-Davidson is temporarily suspending production and supply of its LiveWire electric motorcycle. This decision follows the discovery of a charging problem with the vehicle. Charging at home is not recommended, but it would be safe to ride the motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson has issued a press release to various media outlets stating that it has discovered a discrepancy during a final quality check. On that basis, the supply and production has been temporarily suspended. According to the company, additional tests and analyzes are underway and “good progress” is being made, but the manufacturer is not yet providing details about the problem, a possible solution and when production and deliveries will resume.

The Wall Street Journal writes that the manufacturer has instructed the first group of customers not to charge the LiveWire at home and to do so only at official dealers. In a statement to Electrek, the motorcycle manufacturer said it has asked these customers to only use DC charging. In practice, this will mean that customers will have to drive to Harley-Davidson dealers to charge their LiveWire motorcycle, for example, as these dealers must have at least one fast charger. The problem is probably with the built-in AC charging system, which can be used to charge the motorcycle battery overnight.

The 34,000 euro LiveWire is designed to charge the battery up to 80 percent in forty minutes via a fast charger. According to the manufacturer, the bike can cover about 177km in city traffic; this means that the maximum range will be lower during highway use, for example.