![Harley Davidson Unveils Electric Motorcycle A Harley Davidson Livewire motorcycle, Harley Davidson's first electric bike, sits on display outside the Harley Davidson Store on June 23, 2014 in New York City.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/gettyimages-451105162.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
It has been a year since Harley-Davidson debuted the prototype for its LiveWire battery-powered motorcycle, but it could be much longer before the iconic company’s new e-bike hits the market.
The release of the LiveWire, which is far lighter and quieter than a traditional Harley, shouldn’t be expected “in the next couple of years but it’s not past 2020 either, unless we run into some impossible barrier,” Harley CEO Matt Levatich told The Wall Street Journal.
Levatich, who had not previously put a time frame on the LiveWire’s release, added that the company is working to increase the bike’s current range between battery recharges from its current point of 50 miles to at least 100 miles.
WSJ added:
Harley is betting its dominant U.S. market share in traditional motorcycles and the company’s marketing clout mean it can afford to give others a head start.
Mr. Levatich said Harley would await improvements in battery technology so the LiveWire can have the performance he believes buyers expect. “Will we get to that Nirvana that customers say they want? Probably not,” he said. “Will we get close enough? I believe we will.”
The LiveWire, which features a digital display between its handlebars to indicate speed and serve other functions, is part of Harley’s push to attract younger customers beyond the company’s traditional baby boomer market. The company already has plenty of competition in the electric motorcycle market, including Zero Motorcycles as well as Polaris Industries, which plans to release an electric bike later this year.
And, while customers cannot yet buy the LiveWire, they can check it out in action on the big screen. The latest Marvel blockbuster, Avengers: Age of Ultron, features a prototype version of the electric bike driven by actress Scarlett Johanssen’s character Black Widow.
Check Out the Coolest Cars From the 2015 Detroit Auto Show
![Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show Acura introduces the new NSX at the (NAIAS) on January 12, 2015 in Detroit.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/detroit-auto-show3.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Detroit Auto Show 2015 Detroit Auto Show 2015](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/02-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/detori-auto-show4.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![US-DEROIT-NAIAS-OPEN Chevrolet unveils a new concept car bolt during a press preview on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/01-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![US-DETROIT-AUTO-SHOW The Infinity Q60 concept car is displayed during the press preview on Jan. 13, 2015 in Detroit.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/11-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Bill Ford, Mark Fields Ford Motor Co., Executive Chairman Bill Ford, left, and President and COO Mark Fields stand next to the new Ford GT on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/10-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Inside The 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Inside The 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/07-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/09-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/06-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![USA - Business - 2015 NAIAS - 2014 Mini Superleggera Vision Concept USA - Business - 2015 NAIAS - 2014 Mini Superleggera Vision Concept](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/detroit-auto-show5.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![US-DETROIT-NAIAS-AUTO SHOW US-DETROIT-NAIAS-AUTO SHOW](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/03-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![USA - Business - 2015 NAIAS - 2015 Infiniti Q60 Concept Scheduled for release in 2016, the Infiniti Q60 Coupe will have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 in a stunning aluminum body on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/detroit-auto-show2.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Detroit Hosts Annual North American International Auto Show Acura introduces the new NSX on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/04-detroit-auto-show-north-american.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Biden Dropped Out
- Ukraine’s Plan to Survive Trump
- The Rise of a New Kind of Parenting Guru
- The Chaos and Commotion of the RNC in Photos
- Why We All Have a Stake in Twisters’ Success
- 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Contact us at letters@time.com