Harley-Davidson has been trying to concentrate on electric motorcycles and working in this direction the company has announced Ford Motor Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley to its board of directors. The decision by Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz is also being seen as a move to revive the struggling motorcycle brand. This will also pave the way for the electric future of the two-wheeler manufacturer. The move was disclosed in a letter to shareholders on April 9 from Zeitz. The letter also included a filing ahead of the annual shareholders meeting scheduled for May 20.
Farley took the helm of Ford last year in October and is popular for his love for racing. He even owns two classic Harley-Davidson bikes. Farley has agreed to serve on the board of this century-old company. Farley and Zeitz are now looking to give the Milwaukee-based company a makeover by embracing electrification. Last month, Harley-Davidson hired its first ‘chief electric vehicle officer.’ Farley has played a crucial role in the electrification of Ford. Under him, the company has almost doubled its spending on electrification. Ford is spending USD 22 billion for electrification of its lineup.
Zeitz too looking to invest more in Harley-Davidson and his core focus will be on the heavyweight bike segment. This category of the bike has been steadily shrinking across the industry. Zeitz is also looking to set up a standalone division of electric motorcycles. But the company has also seen a steady downfall in the overall sale of bikes. Harley-Davidson sold around 103,650 bikes in 2020 in its home market. This was a 22 per cent drop and also the lowest level in terms of sales in around 10 years. Harley Davidson and Ford are the two most iconic companies in America. The decision of Farley to serve as a board of directors is definitely going to bring some positive change for the bike manufacture in the long run.
