Is Harley-Davidson Going All-Electric? (2026 Reality Check)

The short answer: no. Harley-Davidson is not going all-electric. In 2021, Harley spun its electric motorcycle operations into a separate, publicly traded brand called LiveWire. The core Harley-Davidson company remains committed to gas-powered V-twin motorcycles. This article breaks down exactly what happened, what LiveWire is today, and what Harley’s lineup looks like in 2026.

The Quick Answer: Harley Is Staying Gas-Powered

This is one of those questions where the headline and the reality point in completely different directions.

Harley-Davidson has made no commitment to go all-electric. The company’s publicly stated strategy – called the Hardwire Strategic Plan, announced in February 2021 – explicitly identifies the V-twin as the foundation of the brand. Harley describes its goal as “leading” in large motorcycles and adventure touring while pursuing “selective expansion” in new segments, which includes electric. Electric is one lane, not the destination.

The Milwaukee-Eight engine family (107/114/117 cubic inches, launched in 2017) powers the full Touring and Softail lineup as of 2026. The Revolution Max water-cooled V-twin (2021-present) powers the Pan America adventure bike, Sportster S, Nightster, and CVO Road Glide ST. Neither platform is going away. If you are considering the Nightster as an entry point, see our full analysis of whether the Harley-Davidson Nightster is a good starter bike.

What Is LiveWire? The EV Spinoff Explained

Most of the confusion about Harley “going electric” traces back to the LiveWire brand announcement – and what actually happened is more nuanced than the headlines suggested.

Harley-Davidson launched its first electric motorcycle as a 2020 model year (first deliveries September 2019), selling it under the LiveWire name as a Harley product. Two years later, in December 2021, Harley announced it was spinning LiveWire off as an independent company. LiveWire went public in 2022 via a SPAC merger, valued at approximately $1.77 billion. Harley-Davidson retained a majority ownership stake, but LiveWire operates as a separate publicly traded entity with its own management, brand identity, and dealer network.

The separation was strategic. Harley’s core customer base skews older and is deeply loyal to the V-twin sound and feel. Bundling EV models under the Harley badge risked diluting the brand. Spinning off LiveWire let Harley pursue younger urban riders under a different identity without cannibalizing its flagship lineup. As Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz put it at the time, the spin-off was about giving the electric segment “the right platform to scale.”

In 2026, LiveWire is a standalone brand. It does not carry the Harley-Davidson name on its bikes. If you’re asking whether Harley-Davidson motorcycles will all be electric, the answer is clearly no – and LiveWire’s existence is part of the reason why.

LiveWire’s Current Lineup (2026)

LiveWire has expanded beyond its original single model since the spinoff. Here’s what the brand sells as of 2026.

The LiveWire ONE is the flagship. It’s a sport-forward naked bike with a 15.4 kWh battery, a range of around 146 miles in city riding, and a 0-60 mph time under 3 seconds. MSRP is $16,499. This is the direct successor to the original Harley LiveWire model from 2019.

The S2 Del Mar and S2 Mulholland are mid-range models priced at $11,999. Both share a 10.5 kWh battery and a 113-120 mile city range, with a 0-60 time of roughly 3.3 seconds and a Level 2 charge time of about 78 minutes. The Del Mar is a street tracker style; the Mulholland leans toward the cruiser side.

The S2 Alpinista rounds out the S2 family at $12,999, pitched as a sport standard. All S2 models share the same core powertrain.

LiveWire’s 2024 annual sales came in at 612 units. By comparison, Harley-Davidson sold well over 100,000 ICE motorcycles in the same period. The EV segment is real but small.

Harley-Davidson’s Hardwire Strategy: What It Actually Says

A lot of the “Harley going electric” narrative was triggered by the Hardwire plan announcement in February 2021. Reading what it actually says clears up the confusion.

Hardwire is a five-year strategic framework (2021-2025) that organizes Harley’s priorities into tiers. At the top: Harley’s core segments – large Touring bikes, large Cruisers, and Trike. These are described as “defend and extend” categories. They will remain V-twin powered.

In the “selective expansion” tier sits adventure touring (the Pan America lineup using the Revolution Max V-twin) and the middleweight segments. Electric is a third-tier item under “lead in electric” – but that leadership is explicitly handed to LiveWire as a separate brand entity, not integrated into the Harley-Davidson lineup.

Nowhere in Hardwire does Harley-Davidson commit to phasing out V-twin engines or set a date for all-electric production. The plan is directionally about protecting the core franchise first, diversifying second, with electric as a long-term option bet placed at arm’s length through LiveWire.

For deeper context on Harley’s current engine families – from the Milwaukee-Eight to the Revolution Max – see our Harley-Davidson engine size chart.

Why Harley Won’t Go All-Electric Anytime Soon

There are structural reasons why an all-electric transition would be deeply difficult for Harley – reasons that go beyond brand preference.

Customer demographics: Harley’s core rider is, statistically, a buyer in their 40s-50s who values the V-twin sound, vibration, and culture as much as the transportation. Forum threads on r/Harley and HDForums consistently show that EV adoption among existing HD owners is extremely low – not because of range anxiety, but because the sensory experience is the product. Replacing that is not a matter of software updates.

Sales reality: LiveWire sold 612 units in 2024. Harley’s total motorcycle unit sales are orders of magnitude higher. There is no financial case for converting the entire Harley lineup to a product category that moves a fraction of the volume.

Dealer network: Harley has roughly 1,400 U.S. dealers. Most are oriented around large-displacement gas bikes – service, accessories, finance. Electrifying the lineup would require retraining, retooling, and shifting dealer economics. The Hardwire plan actually moved Harley toward consolidating its dealer count, not expanding EV infrastructure.

Regulatory environment: Unlike cars, motorcycles face fewer imminent electrification mandates in the U.S. market. The pressure that pushed automotive OEMs toward EV timelines simply does not apply to Harley’s core market in the same way.

If you’re weighing whether a Harley is the right motorcycle for you regardless of powertrain, our guide on whether Harley-Davidson is good for beginners breaks down the real considerations.

What This Means If You’re Buying a Harley in 2026

From a practical standpoint, nothing about Harley’s current gas lineup is under threat of discontinuation in the near term.

The 2026 Harley-Davidson lineup includes:

• Touring: Street Glide, Road Glide, Road King Special, Ultra Limited – all Milwaukee-Eight 114 or 117
• Softail: Fat Boy, Heritage Classic, Breakout, Low Rider S, Fat Bob, Street Bob – Milwaukee-Eight 107/114
• Adventure Touring: Pan America 1250 (and Special) – Revolution Max 1250
• Sport: Sportster S, Nightster – Revolution Max 975
• Trike: Tri Glide Ultra, Freewheeler
• CVO: CVO Road Glide Limited, CVO Street Glide – Milwaukee-Eight 117

Every model in this lineup runs a gas V-twin. LiveWire products are sold through a separate dealer/brand network and do not appear in the Harley-Davidson motorcycle catalog.

Choosing among these platforms requires understanding the engine families and frame differences. Our how to choose a Harley-Davidson model guide walks through the decision framework.

Is Harley-Davidson a Good Brand Overall?

Beyond the electric question, the deeper question many potential buyers have is whether Harley-Davidson is worth buying at all in 2026.

Our research synthesis across owners on r/Harley, HDForums, and long-term Cycle World reports points to a consistent picture: Harley-Davidson motorcycles hold their value better than almost any competing brand, the dealer and aftermarket ecosystem is unmatched in depth, and the Milwaukee-Eight engine (2017-present) resolved the reliability concerns that plagued some Twin Cam-era bikes. The Pan America and Revolution Max models have also been generally well received as competitive ADV/sport platforms.

The weaknesses are well-documented too: weight (most models are over 650 lbs wet), a premium price-to-spec ratio compared to Japanese alternatives, and the ongoing dealer markup culture on new models. The weight question is real for new riders – our research on whether Harleys are harder to ride breaks down exactly where the challenge lives (slow-speed maneuvers) and where it does not. None of these are electrification issues – they’re the same trade-offs that have defined the Harley ownership conversation for years.

For a more detailed breakdown of the brand’s positioning, see our post on is Harley-Davidson the best motorcycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions our research found buyers asking most often about Harley and electric motorcycles.

Is Harley-Davidson going all-electric?

No. Harley-Davidson has no stated plan to convert its lineup to all-electric. The company’s Hardwire Strategic Plan (2021-2025) explicitly prioritizes V-twin gas motorcycles in its core Touring and Cruiser segments. Electric motorcycle operations were spun off into a separate brand – LiveWire – in 2022.

What is LiveWire, and is it the same as Harley-Davidson?

LiveWire is a separate, publicly traded electric motorcycle company that Harley-Davidson spun off via a SPAC merger in 2022, valued at approximately $1.77 billion. Harley retained a majority stake but LiveWire operates independently with its own branding, management, and dealer network. LiveWire motorcycles do not carry the Harley-Davidson name.

What electric motorcycles does LiveWire sell in 2026?

As of 2026, LiveWire’s lineup includes: the LiveWire ONE ($16,499, 146-mile city range), the S2 Del Mar and S2 Mulholland (both $11,999, ~113-120 mile city range), and the S2 Alpinista ($12,999). All S2 models share a 10.5 kWh battery and a 0-60 time around 3.3 seconds.

Will Harley-Davidson ever go fully electric?

There is no evidence from Harley-Davidson’s public statements or strategic plans to suggest a full electrification timeline. LiveWire’s modest sales volume (612 units in 2024 versus well over 100,000 for Harley ICE bikes) reinforces why the core gas lineup is not under threat. A full transition would require a fundamental shift in customer base, dealer network, and product economics that Harley has shown no appetite for.

Does Harley still make the Milwaukee-Eight engine?

Yes. The Milwaukee-Eight (M8) in 107, 114, and 117 cubic inch displacements powers Harley’s full Touring and Softail lineup as of 2026. Launched in 2017, it replaced the Twin Cam series and remains the backbone of Harley’s production. The M8 117 is the top-end option in CVO and select premium models.

What is the Revolution Max engine?

The Revolution Max is Harley’s water-cooled V-twin platform, launched in 2021. It powers the Pan America adventure bikes (1250cc), the Sportster S (1250cc), the Nightster (975cc), and the CVO Road Glide ST. It’s a fundamentally different architecture from the Milwaukee-Eight – more performance-oriented with liquid cooling – and has helped Harley compete in segments where its air-cooled bikes weren’t suited. For a full rundown of Harley engine families and displacements, see our Harley-Davidson engine size chart.

What is Harley-Davidson’s Hardwire strategy?

Hardwire is Harley-Davidson’s 2021-2025 strategic plan, announced by CEO Jochen Zeitz in February 2021. It sets out priorities across three tiers: “defend and extend” core segments (large Touring, large Cruiser, Trike), “selective expansion” (adventure touring, middleweight), and “lead in electric” through the LiveWire brand. The plan explicitly identifies profitability over volume as a core principle and does not set any timeline for exiting gas-powered production. To understand what bikes the Hardwire plan covers, our guide on what is Harley-Davidson Rushmore provides historical context on how Harley has evolved its flagship lineup over time.

Is an electric Harley (LiveWire) worth buying?

That depends entirely on what you’re looking for. LiveWire ONE and S2 models offer strong performance (sub-3-second 0-60), solid city range, and a genuinely different riding experience from gas bikes. What they don’t offer is the V-twin sound, vibration, and culture that defines the Harley ownership experience. If that sensory element matters to you, a LiveWire is not a Harley substitute – it’s a different product that happens to share corporate parentage. Owner reviews on forums like r/ElectricVehicles consistently note the performance positives but also highlight the “missing” character that traditional Harley riders expect.

Research compiled May 2026. Sources: LiveWire official product pages (livewire.com), Harley-Davidson Hardwire Strategic Plan press release (February 2021), Wikipedia LiveWire article (last updated January 2026), r/Harley and HDForums community threads on EV adoption, Cycle World coverage of HD strategy.