While electric cars still have some miles to go before they reach maturity, motorcycles that rely on the plug have an even longer journey separating them from the refinement level achieved by their internal combustion counterparts - the packaging challenges brought by the current battery technology are among the most important obstacles. So you shouldn't be surprised to find out that the Harley-Davidson Livewire we have here is probably the first to have hit the drag strip.
The electric Harley didn't head over to the track for a simple test pass, even though such a shenanigan was obviously part of the adventure. Instead, it duked it out with another electric vehicle, namely a Tesla Model 3.
Texans could witness the two electric slices of America duking it out a few weeks ago, with the HD and the Tesla battling on two separate occasions - the brawl involved a pro tree, which confused the driver of the Model 3 during the first battle, so you'll have to check out the second one for the all-out effort.
Even so, the piece of footage documenting the adventure, which awaits you below, also includes the time slips for both races. As such, you'll be able to tell the real winner (the clock doesn't start ticking until the vehicle gets off the line, so the reaction time isn't that important).
Keep in mind that the Livewire uses 105 horsepower to carry its 550 lbs (plus rider) around, with the Harley-Davidson packing a hefty MSRP of $29,799.
As for the Performance incarnation of the Model 3, this kicks off at $58,000, with the 4.072 lbs, dual-motor machine allowing the driver to control 473 hp. However, it's worth noting that the example used for the races came to the strip with an 89% state of charge (previous shenanigans have shown that such aspects can impact the quarter-mile performance of a Tesla).
Now, those of you who are in a rush can jump to the 5:46 for the racing action.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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