Harley-Davidson Dealer installs electric vehicle charging station

Electric cars have been on the rise in Rhode Island for years, but lesser-known electric motorcycles are also appearing on the road. Russ’ Ocean State Harley-Davidson in Warwick, Rhode Island, recently installed a ChargePoint DC fast charger utilizing the State’s Electrify RI - Electric Vehicle Charging Station Incentive Program. The charger is available for customer use and can also be used by the public to charge any electric vehicle, including motorcycles.

“As Harley-Davidson begins to make EV motorcycles, it is important for us to be a part of the infrastructure buildout that will support the operation of these vehicles,” says Dana Bishop of Russ’ Ocean State Harley-Davidson.  

The Harley-Davidson company has launched its first EV motorcycle called the LiveWire. The LiveWire has 85.6 ft-lb engine torque with range between 95 and 146 miles depending on driving conditions. Using a DC fast charger, it can go from 0-80% charge in 40 minutes and 100% in 60 minutes.

Electrify RI is an electric vehicle charging station incentive program, administered by OER that seeks to make more charging stations accessible to Rhode Island drivers. The program has earmarked $1.4 million in VW settlement funds for EV charging stations at multi-unit dwellings, workplaces, state and local government properties, and publicly accessible locations. The increased availability of charging stations will encourage state residents and business to make the switch to electric vehicles in order to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions and pollutants. As of today, the Level II charger program has been fully subscribed and limited funding remains for DC fast chargers. More information may be found at http://www.energy.ri.gov/electrifyri.php.