The electrics are coming, and they're invading our cultural institutions. Harley-Davidson and the Motorcycle Arts Foundation (MAF) have given notice that they're bringing Electric Revolution, allegedly the first museum exhibit on the planet to exclusively feature electric motorcycles, to Los Angeles.
The whole show is supported by Harley-Davidson, and it'll roll out (quietly!) at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on April 6, 2019. It's in expert hands too; the exhibit will be curated by MAF co-founder Paul d'Orléans, and will explore the history and current state of the electric motorcycle and eBike industry. Twenty-one examples of two-wheeled electric vehicles from both the custom side as well as big manufacturers will line the hallowed galleries of the Petersen Museum. MAF is no stranger to these kinds of important cultural events either; their first project, Custom Revolution, also at the Petersen Museum, just ended its year-long run. (As a side note, the MAF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and distribution of motorcycle arts.)
The release goes on to mention that "zero-emission vehicles have become a prominent part of the transportation landscape, and electric motorcycles and eBikes are one of the fastest-growing sectors" in the evolving market. To make that point, the exhibit assembles a wildly varied mix of production, racing, prototype, and custom electric motorcycles from world-renowned manufacturers and builders of EVs including Harley-Davidson, Cake, Specialized Bicycle Components, Roland Sands Design, Curtiss Motorcycles, Alta Motors, Joey Ruiter, and Noel Connolly. We'll be especially keen to hear any news about Alta's upcoming projects, as well as hard news on Curtiss' Zeus models.
The "first exhibit of its kind in the world" is a prime opportunity for branding, and Harley-Davidson leapt at the chance to sign on as the lead sponsor for this exhibit. To that end, The Motor Company will also have three recent prototypes from its electric portfolio, including, as you probably already guessed, the soon-to-be-released 2020 LiveWire (coming in fall 2019).
“We are creating history with the world’s first exhibition of any type to feature two-wheeled electric vehicles exclusively,” curator Paul d’Orléans states. “The electric motorcycle industry is exploding with new players investing in an electric future, and this exhibit will showcase contemporary manufacturers as the trailblazers of the industry and pay homage to electric pioneers.”
This kind of traction gives a clear signal of the inevitability of EVs in the motorcycle marketplace, and we’re definitely planning to attend this event for a better understanding of what the future might bring. Harley-Davidson Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Heather Malenshek is understandably upbeat about the present too: "Harley-Davidson is at the forefront of the changing consumer landscape within motorcycles and we are excited to showcase our halo product, LiveWire, within the powerful narrative this exhibit presents to the public."
More info can be seen here.
See you there.
