As Japanese companies snub electric motorcycles, Harley to sell e-motos in Japan
Harley-Davidson expects to bring its electric motorcycles to Japan by next year, according to the company’s CEO.
The news comes straight from the top, as Harley-Davidson’s CEO Jochen Zeitz explained to Nikkei that the American motorcycle manufacturer would bring its electric motorcycles to the island nation.
Harley-Davidson was one of the first legacy motorcycle manufacturers to embrace electric drivetrains. Nearly a decade ago the company began work on Project LiveWire, which eventually resulted in the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle. The bike received rave reviews for its performance but saw meager sales due to a high sticker price of nearly US $30,000.
The LiveWire was eventually relaunched with slight changes under H-D’s new all-electric motorcycle brand, also called LiveWire. The new bike, now known as the LiveWire One, is priced at nearly US $7,000 less than the original H-D LiveWire, bringing the price down to around US $23,000.
LiveWire’s second electric motorcycle model, known as the LiveWire S2 Del Mar, is expected to rollout to customers later this summer.
That bike is slightly smaller and also more affordable, starting just north of US $15,000. LiveWire has used the launch to target an expanded market of younger, urban riders that might have been priced out of its flagship electric motorcycle several years ago.
Zeitz didn’t elaborate on which of the LiveWire models would enter the Japanese market, but it is likely that the smaller S2 Del Mar would be ideal.
That would make sense considering that Zeitz also revealed that Harley-Davidson may bring its smaller Chinese-made X350 motorcycle to Japan as well, though that model is powered by a combustion engine.
The news of an American motorcycle manufacturer bringing its electric motorcycles to Japan comes at a time when Japanese motorcycle manufacturers are still largely dragging their feet on e-moto development.
The Big Four of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki have mostly ignored the burgeoning electric motorcycle market over the last decade.
Only recently have they begun to rollout concepts and prototypes, though several have been rather weak efforts with pitiful specifications, especially compared to Harley’s higher power electric motorcycles that boast 0-60 mph times of just three seconds.
The four Japanese motorcycle makers joined a consortium to develop a standard for a swappable electric motorcycle battery, though hopes for a higher performance product were quashed when it turned out that Honda’s small Gogoro-style battery would become the likely standard.
For its part, Honda has pledged to present several electric motorcycles over the next few years, but the few models we’ve seen so far are closer to electric scooters and mopeds, such as the Honda e-Cub below.
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![Kia's electric van spotted in two surprising new versions [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/Kia-PV5-versions.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Is it an electric van? Pickup truck? The PV5 can do it all. Kia’s electric van was caught with two new body types for the first time.
What PV5 version is Kia planning to launch?
The PV5 is more than just a futuristic-looking electric van. It’s what Kia calls “the world’s most useful electric mobility vehicle.”
It’s the first from its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, which will offer a wide range of customizable EVs, advanced software, and much more.
During its PV5 Tech Day event in July, Kia revealed plans to introduce seven PV5 body types, ranging from a light camper to an open-bed truck.
The PV5 Passenger and Cargo, built for personal and business use, are already rolling out in Europe and South Korea. The Cargo Compact (available in 3- and 4-door configurations) and the Cargo High Roof are also available.
New variants will include an open bed, a light camper, a luxury “Prime” passenger, a built-in truck, and a refrigerated truck.
The refrigerated truck was captured driving in public for the first time in South Korea, offering a closer look at what’s coming soon. Kia will launch three PV5 refrigerated truck models: low, standard, and high.
The video from HealerTV reveals the standard and high versions. In person, the reporter noted that the high version definitely appeared taller than the standard version.
Although the front looks like the PV5 Passenger and Cargo, the back is redesigned for the refrigerated unit. Kia has yet to reveal a launch date, but it’s expected to be by the end of 2025.
Another PV5 variant, the open-bed version, was recently spotted in public in South Korea. Although we’ve seen it a few times before, the new video, also from the folks at HealerTV, offers our best look at the truck-like variant from all angles.
Meanwhile, the PV5 Cargo just set a new Guinness World Record after driving 430.84 miles (693.38 km) on a single charge, while carrying a full load.
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The new 2026 Nissan LEAF has an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 303 miles, but real-world tests suggest it can go even further.
New 2026 Nissan LEAF beats range estimates
Nissan upgraded its iconic electric hatch for its third generation, bringing a new style, faster charging, and over 300 miles of driving range.
The 2026 LEAF boasts 25% more driving range than the outgoing model with an official EPA rating of up to 303 miles. That’s a pretty big difference from the up to 212-mile rating on the 2025 LEAF SV Plus.
In the real world, it will likely drive even further. According to Edmunds, the new LEAF “far exceeded its official EPA estimate” in early tests.
The 2026 Nissan LEAF Platinum+ was just put through the Edmunds EV Range Test, traveling 310 miles on a single charge. That’s for the Platinum+ trim, which has an official EPA-estimated driving range of just 259 miles. The SV+ is rated with 288 miles, while the base S+ has 303 miles.
Based on early tests, Edmunds expects all new LEAF trims to offer significantly more driving range than their ratings indicate.
Nissan’s new LEAF also topped the EPA’s efficiency expectations. The 2026 LEAF achieved an energy consumption of 27.8 kWh per 100 miles during the test, compared to the EPA estimated 33 kWh per 100 miles. That’s a nearly 16% improvement.
The Edmunds EV range test offers a more accurate estimate of a vehicle’s real-world range. It’s made up of 60% city and 40% highway with an average speed of 40 mph. The car stays within 5 miles of the posted speed limit, is set at its most efficient setting, and the climate control is set on auto at 72 degrees.
| 2026 Nissan LEAF trim | Starting Price | Driving Range (EPA-estimated) |
| LEAF S+ | $29,990 | 303 miles |
| LEAF SV+ | $34,230 | 288 miles |
| LEAF Platinum+ | $38,990 | 259 miles |
Starting at $29,990, the 2026 Nissan LEAF is poised to challenge the Chevy Equinox EV on price and driving range.
The Chevy Equinox EV LT delivered 356 miles of range and an energy consumption of 28.9 kWh per 100 miles during the Edmunds EV Range Test.
The electric Equinox is currently the third-most-popular EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Will the upgrades be enough for the LEAF to make a comeback?
Ready to test drive one to see for yourself? You can use our links below to find Nissan LEAF and Chevy Equinox EVs closest to you.
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We’re getting the first batch of Tesla registration data out of Europe for October 2025, and it confirms the worrying trend we’ve been tracking: Tesla’s demand is in a steep decline.
Based on data from 9 key markets that have reported so far, Tesla’s registrations fell 36.3% year over year (YoY).
Just 4,170 units were registered in these countries (including Norway, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands) compared to 6,549 in those same exact markets in October 2024.
Here are the markets that reported October 2025 data so far:
- 🇫🇷 France: 83.7% Growth (1,784 vs 971) 📈
- 🇪🇸 Spain: 30.6% Decline (393 vs 566) 📉
- 🇮🇹 Italy: 47.1% Decline (256 vs 484) 📉
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands: 47.9% Decline (645 vs 1,238) 📉
- 🇳🇴 Norway: 50.2% Decline (671 vs 1,348) 📉
- 🇵🇹 Portugal: 58.7% Decline (144 vs 349) 📉
- 🇦🇹 Austria: 64.5% Decline (97 vs 273) 📉
- 🇫🇮 Finland: 67.6% Decline (47 vs 145) 📉
- 🇸🇪 Sweden: 88.7% Decline (133 vs 1,175) 📉
The only positive in October for Tesla was the French market, which saw significant growth due to a new EV incentive program for low- to middle-income people.
The rest was disastrous.
While some analysts are trying to push the idea that Tesla’s European sales have now bottomed after two years of decline, most reporting markets in October are showing the worst month of Tesla registrations this year. That includes even months before the availability of the Model Y refresh.
It also includes Norway, which has been one of Tesla’s healthiest markets amid its decline in Europe.
Looking at the year-to-date (YTD) figures for all of Europe, Tesla’s total registrations are down over 30% through the first ten months, falling from over 255,000 units by this time in 2024 to just 177,000 this year.
Electrek’s Take
I truly wonder when Elon or the board is going to do something about this. I know that their idea is that FSD is coming to save the day at some point, but that sounds ridiculous. At a 12% take rate, even once it becomes available in Europe, I doubt it will have a significant impact.
Tesla’s issues in Europe come from two main things: brand damage due to Elon Musk and competition.
Unlike in the US where Tesla has limited competition, the EV market is significantly more competitive in Europe, where some Chinese automakers are already esthablishing a presence and where European, Korean, and Japanese legacy automakers are making more EV models avialable.
Tesla needs a fresh EV lineup in Europe. And eslewhere for that matter.
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