MILWAUKEE (AP) — Harley-Davidson will take its electric motorcycle division public through a blank-check company, valuing the enterprise that has been part of the Harley for 10 years at $1.77 billion.
The news gave a jolt to long-suffering shares of Harley-Davidson, which are up 12% before the opening bell Monday.
Under the agreement, the special purpose acquisition company AEA-Bridges Impact Corp. will buy Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire and make it the first publicly traded electric motorcycle company in the U.S. next year.
LiveWire has been part of the Milwaukee motorcycle maker for 10 years and became a separate unit in 2019.