We usually hear the terms "Harley-Davidson" and "racing" in the same sentence when there's talk of flat track racing or for the occasional drag race. The Milwaukee company has announced it will be adding another string to its racing bow and will join forces with Virgin to support the Envision team. No, this isn't motorcycle racing: this is Formula E!
A press release received earlier on Tuesday announced that legendary motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson will become a sponsor to the Envision Virgin Racing team—one of the leading names in the FIA's most recent ventures in electric racing. It sounds like an extremely bizarre pairing considering the brand's history rooted in throaty engines and muscular performance. It looks like Harley wants us to take its electric efforts seriously.
The company launched its first electric vehicle for 2019, the Livewire, set to roll out of production in August. While the model took its sweet time to come to the market (five years in the making!), it is only the first of a series of electric models H-D is considering, including toddlers push bikes and even scooters. According to the press release, Harley will be targeting riders of all ages with its electric products, from the "the youngest of riders, all the way to the rider who is looking for a premium, high-performance EV motorcycle experience."
Formula E is the occasion for Harley to promote itself as the innovative brand it is aiming to become in the realm of electrification. Envision Virgin Racing and H-D confirmed their partnership is a "multi-year agreement". The details of the said agreement haven't been listed so whether Harley's sponsorship will take the shape of monetary or technological support isn't known. All we know is that the orange shield—or apparently blue in this case—will be decorating the cars of the Envision Virgin team for the 2019 season and the years to come. Does this sound as weird for you as it does for me? It makes sense, but it just sounds weird.
