抛弃皮革、大胡子，哈雷摩托推出第一款绿色电动概念车

    一提到哈雷戴维森摩托车( Harley-Davidson)，大家可能就会想到皮革、胡须，以及轰隆的引擎声。但现在，大家可以把它想象成是一辆配备数字显示屏的全电动单车。

    上周一下午，这家标志性的美国摩托车制造商在纽约市举办了一场活动，隆重推出了它的第一款电动摩托概念车：LiveWire。

    这款新单车看起来跟传统的摩托车相差无几，但也存在几个显著的不同之处。它的车把之间有一个能够显示速度和效率的显示屏。此外，左车把没有离合器，因为它没有齿轮。这款单车从零加速到60英里（约合96公里）大约只需4秒，最高时速为92英里。它没有传统哈雷摩托那种响亮的转速声，但它的电动引擎会发出轻微的嗡嗡声。

    哈雷公司总裁马特•雷瓦迪克表示，这款单车准备在几年后量产销售。与此同时，这家公司将继续调整设计，同时聆听消费者的意见。

    “我们还没有确定具体的日期，”他说。“我们需要时间来吸收顾客的反馈信息。”

    各色人等聚集在位于曼哈顿下城哈雷戴维森旗舰店。一群沉默寡言的记者缓慢地爬上LiveWire模拟装置（想象一下，你骑在一辆被卡住的摩托车上，可以“加速”，但摩托车根本不会动），试驾者当然少不了哈雷骑士俱乐部成员(Harley-Davidson Riders Club Members)，其中许多人穿着打满补丁的旧背心，蓄着可以跟一代巫师拉斯普廷相媲美的大胡子。

    一位叫胡安•马莫尔的车手说，这款新单车的驾驶感觉非常棒，但他担心，一次充电能够支撑的里程相对较短。经过三小时充电之后，这款单车只能行驶大约55英里。

    “感觉很棒，”他说。“根据他们目前的说法，最大的缺点是充电时间。”

    马莫尔说，铁杆哈雷车手有时候一天要骑行400英里，对他们来说，目前的电池根本不够用。但他的确认为，这款单车可以改变哈雷戴维森的形象，或许能够吸引一些新人加入重型摩托手的行列。

    他说：“我相信它多少会改变那种认为哈雷粉丝都是老家伙的观点。”

    雷瓦迪克同意这种看法，但他还指出，哈雷永远也不会忘记那些钟情于老式摩托车的核心客户。“我们绝对不会放弃任何一款老车型，”他说。“我们将继续投资于拥有伟大传统的哈雷戴维森摩托车。LiveWire与老车型无关。推出这款车是想给一些或许还没有喜欢上这项运动、没有尝试过这一品牌的人们打开一扇门。”

    当然，哈雷戴维森并不是唯一一家正在开发电动单车的摩托车制造商。事实上，包括使命摩托(Mission Motors)在内的其他公司已经开始销售电动车型。

    哈雷戴维森今年将在美国各地举行路演活动，明年还打算远赴加拿大和欧洲。LiveWire体验之旅下周将移师威斯康星州密尔沃基市。（财富中文网）

    译者：叶寒

    When you think Harley-Davidson, you probably think about leather, beards, and loud engines. Now, though, you can picture a fully electric bike with a digital display.

    The iconic American motorcycle manufacturer held an event in New York City Monday afternoon showing off Project LiveWire, a prototype of the company’s first electric motorcycle.

    The new bikes look mostly like a traditional motorcycle, with a few notable exceptions. There is a digital display in between the handlebars where speed and efficiency are displayed. Also, there is no clutch on the left handlebar, since there are no gears. The bike can go from zero to 60 in about 4 seconds, and can reach up to 92 m.p.h. It does not have the traditional loud Harley rev-up sound, though there is a slight hum from the electric engine starting.

    Harley President Matt Levatich said it would be a few years before the bikes were ready to be manufactured and put on sale. In the meantime, it is still tweaking the design and listening to its customers.

    “We don’t have specific date,” he said. “We need time to incorporate that feedback.

    It was a uniquely diverse crowd gathered at the Harley-Davidson HOG 0.00% dealership in Lower Manhattan — a near equal mix of buttoned-up journalists lumbering onto the LiveWire simulator (think a motorcycle stuck in place that can be “revved up” without actually going anywhere) and Harley-Davidson Riders Club Members, many of whom sported well-worn patched vests and beards that would give Rasputin a run for his money.

    One of those riders, Juan Marmol, said that the new bike ran great, though he was concerned about the relative short range of the bike on a single charge of its battery. The bike can only travel around 55 miles after a three hour charge.

    “It was awesome,” he said. “The biggest downfall to it right now based on what their telling us is the charge time.”

    For hardcore Harley riders who sometimes go up to 400 miles a day, the current battery just wouldn’t work, Marmol said. But he did think that the new bike could change Harley-Davidson’s image and maybe bring some new people into the hog-riding family.

    “I believe this will change kind of the mindset that Harley’s are for old guys,” he said.

    Levatich agreed, also noting that Harley would not be forgetting its core customers who want old-fashioned motorcycles. “We’re absolutely not abandoning any of that,” he said. “We’re going to continue to invest in great traditional Harley-Davidson motorcycles. LiveWire has nothing to do with that. It’s all of that, plus opening the doors to some people that are maybe on the outside of the sport, on the outside of the brand.”

    Of course, Harley-Davidson isn’t the only motor cycle maker exploring electric bikes. In fact, Other companies such as Mission Motors have already put their models on sale.

    Harley-Davidson’s roadshow will travel across the United States this year and next in addition to going to Canada and Europe. The LiveWire Experience Tourcontinues next week in Milwaukee, Wis.