Harley-Davidson stops production of LiveWire

Harley-Davidson said on Monday that it has halted production and delivery of its premium electric motorcycle LiveWire after it identified a problem with the vehicle’s battery charging system. It was unveiled two months ago.

“We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped production and deliveries; and began additional testing,” the company said in a statement. “We are in close contact with our LiveWire dealers and customers and have assured them they can continue to ride LiveWire motorcycles. As usual, we’re keeping high quality as our top priority.”

The American motorcycle maker, which was banking on LiveWire as a part of its diversification plan, hasn’t announced when production will resume.

It told The Wall Street Journal that customers who have already purchased the bike can continue to ride them but should charge them only with the professional ChargePoint chargers available at its dealerships instead of the low-voltage points at homes.

The bike, which is available in the U.S. and other markets, is yet to be launched in India. The bike is priced at $29,799 in the U.S.

Harley, struggling with low sales due to an aging customer base, has been trying to revamp itself. The LiveWire is Harley’s attempt at catering to millennials and a younger audience. The LiveWire offers a city range of 235 km thanks to its Rechargeable Energy Storage System (or RESS), which is a high-voltage lithium-ion battery composed of lithium-ion cells surrounded by a finned, cast-aluminum housing.