Harley-Davidson to set up R&D centre for electric vehicles in California

Harley-Davidson has announced that it will be setting up a new R&D (research and development) centre in Silicon Valley, California. The upcoming R&D centre will be focusing on the development of electric vehicles, including batteries, performance electronics, and design. It will work in conjunction with Harley’s existing R&D centre in Wisconsin and is expected to start operations by late 2018. Few months back, the American brand had announced the 'More Roads to Harley-Davidson' growth plan, which gave electric vehicles a lot of significance. The new programme has been dubbed 'Twist and Go' and the first offering from this initiative is the Livewire. Harley recently showcased the production version of its first electric motorcycle, which will go on sale next year. The company also has plans to expand its EV portfolio with lighter, smaller and even more accessible products that will go on sale by 2022.

It also has started hiring electrical, mechanical and software engineers for the upcoming R&D centre. The facility will initially employ a staff of approximately 25, most of which the company intends to hire from within the Silicon Valley area.

Commenting on the new R&D centre, Matt Levatich, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc, said, “Recently we shared with the world our accelerated plans to build the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders globally. This new R&D facility in the heart of Silicon Valley will help us deliver on those plans and demonstrate our commitment to lead the electrification of the sport. This is an exciting time in Harley-Davidson’s incredible history, and it’s also an exciting time to join our company and help shape our future.”