2019 Harley-Davidson LiveWire: Everything We Know

We finally have the full portrait.

Five years in the making and we finally get to know (pretty much) everything there is to know about Harley-Davidson‘s first step into electrification: the LiveWire.

The manufacturer announced it would start working on its very first electric motorcycle over 5 years ago. Already at the time, the company had expressed the desire to diversify its audience. In 2014, the then dubbed “Project LiveWire” prototype started touring Harley dealers and motorcycle shows to get feedback and impressions from the public. Then, we waited. And waited.

Springs Back To Life

For a few years, the project was almost completely forgotten and while it had created much hype back when it was first announced, the LiveWire became a bit of a Loch Monster: some people say they have seen it but nobody has proven its existence. Finally, as 2108 rolled in, H-D looked about ready for the commitment. With the promise of an official launch in 2019, the company started name-dropping the LiveWire once more.

The design has remained virtually the same as the Project LiveWire prototype, except for the addition of a front cowl. The new design introduces a much more modern aesthetic to the century-old company’s lineup. The bike is built on a lightweight aluminum chassis. The exposed frame, floating upward tail, and naked silhouette are a stark contrast from the typical Harley—exactly what the company is aiming to do with what it hopes will help kindle a younger audience’s curiosity. The electric powertrain is set low within the frame to send the weight towards the ground and keep a low center of gravity.

The company opted for a stiffer chassis to make the ride more engaging and responsive. The LiveWire comes fitted with Brembo front brakes, ABS, and traction control. Riders will have the choice of 7 different riding modes to adapt to their needs.

Electric Feature

A new feature, alien to the rest of the lineup, is the “twist and go. Since its electric, the LiveWire neither has a clutch nor a gear selector. You only have to, well, twist and go. The company has also been selling the model’s performance, with the promise of a 0-to-60 in 3.5 seconds thanks to its electric powertrain. You can have all the range anxiety in the world: you have to admit that electric vehicles offer entertaining take offs.

The bike will also be connected via the H-D connect. This provides the owner with such useful information as battery status, parking location, service reminders, and even a tracker should the motorcycle get stolen.

CES Reveal

At CES 2019, the company finally completed the portrait it started painting 5 years ago. It unveiled the numbers everyone had been begging to know: range and pricing. Powered by Harley’s Revelation powertrain, the 2019 LiveWire will provide users with an estimated 110-mile range in the city.

Charging times are listed by Harley as follow:

• Level 1 (standard household outlet): 13 miles range per hour of charged.
• Level 2: LiveWire can be connected to a Level 2 charge unit but will be charged at the Level 1 rate.
• DC Fast Charge: 192 miles range per hour charged.

In common language, this means a full charge will take between 8 and 9 hours on a standard outlet. Less than an hour on a fast charger.

As for pricing, the tag has been set at $29,799. The model will be available in three colors starting August 2019.

How Does The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace Compare To The Tesla Model X?

HOW DOES THAT JAGUAR I-PACE STACK UP AGAINST TESLA’S MODEL X?

Automotive writer Dan Neil is a bright spot at the Wall Street Journal, once a thoughtful conservative news source and now a leading venue for anti-Tesla rants. Neil famously deleted his Twitter account after a positive review of the Tesla Model 3 triggered a torrent of trollery.

*This article comes to us courtesy of EVANNEX (which also makes aftermarket Tesla accessories). Authored by Charles Morris. The opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily our own at InsideEVs.

Above: Tesla’s Model X and Jaguar’s I-Pace (Image: InsideEVs via Nicolas Joannès)

Neil recently tested the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace, and shared his impressions of the new electric crossover, including the inevitable comparison to the Tesla Model X.

Neil found the new Jag to be “brill, as the Brits would say: smart and sensual, quick and quiet, athletic and aesthetic, a class act all the way.” He also noted a few problems: “The lagging touch screen in my test car made me want to drive it off one of [the] Monterey Peninsula’s scenic cliffs.”

Neil notes that Jaguar has stolen a march on the German luxury brands, which are “still bravely in their foxholes.” Audi’s e-tron impressed journalists (including this correspondent) at an expansive extravaganza in San Francisco, but the bubble of credibility was quickly punctured when we learned that the company does not plan to ship any inventory to its US dealers – the e-tron will be available by special order only, and Audi of America President Scott Keogh said the wait for delivery could be a year or more. Porsche won’t commit to a launch date for its Taycan electric four-door coupe, but it might possibly, conceivably start to arrive by (maybe) spring 2020. Mercedes has shown off its new EQC electric SUV, which it tentatively expects to arrive in the US in 2020 (perhaps). BMW takes top honors for tentativeness – it recently showcased a concept called the Vision iNext, which may perchance come to market around 2021.

Above: Jaguar faces off against Tesla (Image: InsideEVs via Nicolas Joannès)

So Jaguar is the first legacy automaker to field a competitor for Model X, and Neil believes this is a competitive advantage that will be definitive for the brand, “especially among the next generation of car buyers in Europe and particularly China, where the government is effectively regulating gas cars off the market.”

A lot of “armchair quarterbacks” believe that once the legacy automakers finally decide to get serious about electrification, their superior resources will allow them to overtake Tesla quickly. More informed observers point out that differing missions (Tesla exists to sell EVs; Big Auto still hopes they’ll go away) make that scenario unlikely. Neil’s comparison of the Jag and the Tesla offers another reason not to count the Californians out. “It’s becoming obvious that Tesla’s advantage in powertrain tech won’t be so easily commodified or wished away,” he writes, then goes on to list some of the Tesla’s technical advantages over its challenger.

“The new I-Pace [with an EPA-estimated range of 234 miles, almost] matches the Tesla Model X 75D in range but it requires a 20% larger battery to do so,” writes Neil. “The Model X is also 14 inches longer and 400 pounds heavier, so a whole class above in size. And then there is charging. At a Level 2 home charger, a dead-empty I-Pace would take 12.9 hours to fully charge, according to Jaguar. For the same car at a public DC fast-charger (50 kW), 30 minutes would yield about 60 miles of extra range. That’s assuming, in the moment of need, you can find convenient DC fast charging. Chances are you’ll drive past one or more of Tesla’s hundreds of proprietary Supercharger stations along the way.”

Above: Model X and I-Pace on the road (Image: InsideEVs via Nicolas Joannès)

The I-Pace’s designers opted for a traditional user interface. In contrast to “the bone-chilling minimalism of a Tesla Model 3…the I-Pace UX looks like Mission Control with leather upholstery. There are a good number of physical rotary controllers, switches and ergonomic landmarks at hand, so you don’t always have to go ferreting around its torpid touch screen.”

Neil found plenty to like about the electric Jag: “All-wheel drive comes by way of AC synchronous motors fore and aft with integrated single-speed transmissions, delivering a combined 394 hp and 512 lb-ft of ready torque, enough to toss the little British space pod to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and top out at 124 mph. At low speeds and low demand the rear motor does all the work in near silence of oiled electrons. The tire roar is by far the loudest thing. But when you boot the I-Pace to full power, it sings to you, a spiraling aria analogous to an internal combustion car’s rising revs, coming out of the cabin loudspeakers. You can turn it off if you like, killjoy.”

Above: Germany’s NextMove compares the two SUVs in a head-to-head battle (Youtube: nextmove)

Meanwhile, another comparison recently surfaced between the Model X and I-Pace. As reported in Teslarati, Germany’s NextMove analyzed the efficiency of the two all-electric SUVs and found, “At speeds between 93 km/h (58 mph) and 110 km/h (68 mph), for example, the I-PACE showed an average consumption of 22.5 kWh/100 km (362 Wh/mi). The Model X, on the other hand, had a consumption of 17.5 kWh/100 km (282 Wh/mi). That makes the larger, heavier Model X around 23% more efficient than the Jaguar I-PACE.”

NextMove also evaluated charging, and found that the Tesla outshone the Jaguar in this category as well. The German publication charged the I-PACE at an IONITY station at a Porsche dealership. IONITY’s charging stations are capable of providing up to 350 kW of output, but the I-PACE was limited to only 80-83 kW. However, Tesla’s Supercharger was able to recharge the Model X 90D at a level of over 100 kW.

Enevate Claims New EV Battery Technology Permits Recharging In 5 Minutes

Enevate, located in Irvine, California, claims its latest silicon dominant lithium ion battery technology makes 5 minute charging possible. In a press release, the company says an electric car equipped with one of its batteries can add 240 miles of range in just 5 minutes or 50 miles of range in a minute.

Fast charging is a hot topic in the world of electric automobiles because most drivers are accustomed to spending 5 minutes or less at the pump to fill the gas tank of their conventional cars. Israeli company StoreDot also claims its EV battery can be recharged in just five minutes.

Enevate cites several advantages for its batteries. Each battery has an energy density of 750 Wh/L and can be safely charged at temperatures as low as -40º Celsius. It can absorb  more energy from regenerative braking than a traditional EV battery. Last, the company claims that eliminating range anxiety due to faster charging times could allow manufacturers to offer smaller, less expensive batteries, which would reduce the cost of electric vehicles and make them more attractive to buyers.

“The benefits of Enevate’s silicon-dominant HD-Energy Technology enable next-generation features that take EVs to the next level,” says founder & chief technology officer Dr. Benjamin Park. “Extreme fast charges for very short and convenient charging times, higher energy density leading to longer driving ranges, and cold temperature operation with inherent safety advantages make this technology ideal for electric vehicles.”

No less an authority than Dr. John Goodenough of the University of Texas in Austin has given his endorsement to the company’s technology. “Enevate’s film-based silicon-dominant anode and cell is a truly novel approach and great practical fit for use in EVs addressing the major barriers to EV adoption,” he says.

Enevate’s silicon dominant anode technology is exciting news, but the company provides no information in its press release about what sort of charging equipment is needed to make the miracle of 5 minute charging possible nor does it say where such chargers can be found, who will build and operate them, or how much they will cost.

EV Fast Charging Companies Get Green Light From London

Fastned is well on its way to becoming one of the largest electric car charging networks in Europe. Last week, it announced it was working with German authorities to construct a fast charging network in that country. Now, Fastned says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Transport For London to do the same in the Greater London area.

Michiel Langezaal, CEO of Fastned, told the press last week, “We are witnessing the start of the Autowende from fossil to electric. This is accompanied by the start of a transition from petrol stations to fast charging stations where electric cars can charge super fast and continue their journey. Fastned is building a pan-European network of fast charging stations that will provide freedom to drivers of electric cars to travel across Europe. As charging speeds increase, charging will become like refueling your car, and fast charging stations will be the petrol stations of the future.”

Transport for London has established a goal of 300 fast charging stations in the Greater London area by the year 2020 in order to meet the City’s plans to significantly reduce air pollution by expanding the number of electric vehicles on its roads and highways. Having a fast charging network in place is deemed critical to meeting that goal.

Fastned was selected after an extensive competitive bidding process, along with a few other companies. “The other charging companies are Bluepoint London, the Centrica Consortium, Chargemaster and Electricity Supply Board (ESB),” Roy Hales notes. “London’s first 75 charging points should be operational by the end of the year. By 2020, there could be 300. “

Fastned’s Lengezaal says, “We are very happy that TfL is making locations available for charging infrastructure through a public tender procedure. This enables Fastned to build the infrastructure required to give freedom to electric vehicle drivers and allows Fastned to live up to its mission to accelerate the advent of the electric car.”

Transport for London (TfL) will enter into concession agreements with Fastned to permit construction of the fast charging stations starting in a few months. In total, TfL has an £18 million fund for upgrading the city’s power supply and to build rapid charge points.

London is doing much more than this, though — on January 1, 2018, all new taxis coming into the city will have to be capable of zero-emissions driving, as any vehicle with a plug is. Roy Hales adds: “TfL and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles are offering taxi drivers up to £7,500 towards their purchase of  a new zero emission capable black cab.” Those electric taxis, unsurprisingly, will need some places to charge — and to charge fast. Hence the complementary EV charging scheme.

Via EV Obsession.

California Will Spend $9 Million To Complete West Coast Electric Highway

The California Energy Commission has awarded nearly $9 million to 4 companies to complete the West Coast Electric Highway. The project is intended to make it possible to drive an electric car from Vancouver to the Baja peninsular. The new funding — $8,875,457, to be exact — will be used to create DC fast-charging stations along Interstate 5, State Route 99, and Highway 101, according to EV Obsession.

42% of the money will go to ChargePoint ($3,739,615). EV Connect will get 21% of the money ($1,843,179). NRG EV Services will get 19% ($1,659,928) and Recargo will get 18% ($1,632,735).  The request for proposals for the work went out last July and resulted in 35 proposals in all. The solicitation defined 7 primary areas for the work to be done and 2 secondary segments.

For the primary sectors of the West Coast Electric Highway, each charging location must have at least one CHAdeMO fast charger, one SAE CCS Fast Charger and one J1772-compliant Level 2 charger. Fast chargers are not required for secondary segments, but proposals that included them received priority in the bidding process.

Each ChargePoint location will include a 50 kW Express DC fast charging station equipped with both SAE Combo and CHAdeMO connectors as well as Level 2 charging stations, according to Charged EVs. ChargePoints’ part of the project will also include two showcase sites with scalable intelligent energy storage management systems and a solar generation system that can charge the stationary storage and/or export power to the grid.

“The West Coast Electric Highway is key to expanding access to infrastructure, especially in rural, disadvantaged communities, to drive EV adoption,” said Pasquale Romano, ChargePoint CEO. “This project will support EV drivers in their daily travel and give drivers range confidence for longer distance travel.”

Fast charging is vital for motorists traveling long distances away from home. Level 2 chargers can only add about 15 miles of range for every hour of charging, but a fast charger can usually restore a depleted battery to 80% of its capacity in a hour or less. Fast charging is considered a vital part of convincing mainstream drivers to consider driving an electric or plug-in hybrid car.

Projects like this are much easier to put in place on the west coast, which has only three states from north to south as opposed to the 13 states that line the eastern seaboard. Getting cooperation among all those political jurisdictions is like getting Chris Christie to lose weight — not impossible, but very, very difficult.

Honda Adding 120 EV Chargers to Torrance Campus

Driving an electric car to work just got a lot easier for Honda corporate employees in California. That’s because the company recently committed to installing 120 new EV chargers at its Torrance, California HQ in an effort to encourage EV use and complement the efforts of California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan.

That seems like quite a lot of chargers for a company that doesn’t really offer a whole lot in terms of PHEVs beyond the Accord Plug-in model (and even that seems to have been discontinued after the 2014 MY). It’s anybody’s guess, then, what EVs all these Honda employees will be driving to work in the near future.

Lucky for us, you’re anybody! So, today’s assignment is to go into the comments section and let us know what sort of plug-ins you think will be available in Honda’s near future. On your way down the page, check out Honda’s official press release, below.

Honda to Add 120 EV Chargers to Torrance Campus

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• includes a publicly accessible 50kW DC “fast” charger to support the local community
• Expansion will increase electric vehicle miles traveled by Honda associates
• Activity complements California’s ZEV Action Plan

TORRANCE, CA — In an effort to increase the use of alternative fuel vehicles by its associates for daily commuting, and to prepare for a new generation of plug-in vehicles set to arrive by 2018, Honda is adding 120 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers on the Torrance, CA headquarter campus of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. The new chargers will be installed in two phases, the first of which has already begun. Ultimately, Honda estimates that the chargers will enable hundreds of associates to use an EV for their daily commute.

To support the local community in conjunction with the project, Honda is installing a publicly-accessible DC “fast” charger on Harpers Way, adjacent to its campus, which will enable Torrance residents to rapidly refuel EVs equipped with DC charging capabilities. The fee-based DC Fast charger will open in early 2016 and will support both the CHAdeMO and SAE Combo standards.

“Making workplace charging ubiquitous and accessible is the cornerstone of an effective public charging strategy that supports the maximum number of vehicles,” said Steven Center, vice president of Honda’s Environmental Business Development Office and Product Regulatory Office. “This expansion will make commuting in an EV a convenient option for the vast majority of Honda associates in Torrance, including those without access to charging at their homes or apartment buildings.”

Funding for the project was provided, in part, by a California Energy Commission (CEC) grant. Honda’s announcement coincides with its participation in “Drive the Dream 2015,” an event hosted by the California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative and attended by Governor Jerry Brown to encourage businesses across the state to install workplace charging.

Honda will offer several next-generation, advanced powertrain vehicles, including a new fuel cell vehicle (FCV) set to launch next year, followed by a new battery-electric model and a new plug-in hybrid model by 2018. The new EV chargers on the Torrance campus will complement existing refueling options on-site, including compressed natural gas and hydrogen refueling stations.

Source | Images: Honda.

Tritium introduces Veefil 50 kW EV fast charger

Tritium, an Australia-based designer and manufacturer of power electronic systems for electric vehicles, has introduced the Veefil fast charger for plug-in vehicles. The Veefil is the first release in Tritium’s new line of electric vehicle charging solutions and was fully developed in Australia as part of a $2.3-million project funded with matching support of a Commercialisation Australia grant.

Veefil Click to enlarge.

The 50 kW Veefil supports both of the CHAdeMO and SAE J1772 Combo connector standards. Supply voltage is 400-415V AC 3ø; max supply current is 85A (AC). The compact Veefil is 2000(H) x 750 (W) x 330(D) mm.

Fast charging allows drivers of standard passenger EVs to refill their vehicles twenty times faster than using a standard wall socket. Veefil users can select either a half charge of about 10 minutes or a full charge of up to 30 minutes.

The Veefil is extremely attractive to businesses that want to get involved with electric vehicles, but think it’s all too hard. The Veefil’s tiny space requirements, combined with its stylish and sleek design, makes it easy to visualize in front of your business and attracting customers.

—Tritium Managing Director, Dr David Finn

LA finally gets public DC fast charger for electric vehicles

Well, it's about time!

The city of Los Angeles just had its very first electric vehicle DC fast charger installed – an ECOtality Blinkcharger public station that can fill up a compatible EV to roughly 80 percent full in 30 minutes. It was unveiled last week in downtown L.A.'s Arts District, across the street from several restaurants. The crowd cheered as the fast charger was introduced and LA City Councilmember Jose Huizar paid tribute to the contribution the fast charger will make to the city. Other notables in attendance were Chris Paine, director of the films Who Killed the Electric Car? and Revenge of the Electric Car, and Paul Scott, co-founder of Plug In America and who is now in charge of Nissan Leaf sales at Nissan of Downtown LA. When the project's developer, Yuval Ben-Zemer, noted that he could have put gas stations where these chargers now stand, the crowd cheered.

The fast charger is sitting next to a ten Level 2 chargers in the downtown LA parking lot. These increasingly common chargers take as long as six to eight hours to fully recharge a completely depleted battery, making the fast charger much more appealing for drivers in a rush. Fast chargers are slowly being installed alongHighway 5 in Washington and Oregon, but this is the first one in Los Angeles. Why would that be? Good question.



Source: Autoblog Green

Andromeda Mobile DC Fast Charger - Operational Video

Here we go, the only way to have your Electric Vehicle charged!